President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr
Prime Minister, my dear friend, ladies and gentlemen,
We are always delighted to welcome to
Russia a big friend of our country, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. His
official visit has been timed to coincide with the Eastern Economic Forum,
where Mr Modi and I will address a plenary meeting tomorrow.
I would like to point out that India is a
key partner of Russia. Relations between our countries can be described as
truly strategic and privileged and have been developing on the basis of
friendship and mutual benefit.
Mr Modi and I maintain close official and
personal ties and hold regular meetings, which have become a good tradition. We
met only recently on the sidelines of the SCO Heads of State Council meeting in
Bishkek and the G20 summit in Osaka. It should be said that our talks are
invariably conducted in a friendly atmosphere and are always meaningful and
constructive.
This has also been the case with the talks
we have held today. First, we met one-on-one and then our delegations joined us
to exchange opinions on the key issues of bilateral cooperation, discuss the
implementation of the decisions taken at the New Delhi summit last year and map
out practical goals, which we included in the joint statement we have issued
today.
The large number of interdepartmental and
corporate agreements we have signed today covers a variety of spheres and will
certainly help promote multifaceted Russian-Indian ties.
Naturally, we gave priority to issues of
trade and investment cooperation. Last year our trade grew by almost 17 percent
to reach $11 billion. We believe there is every prerequisite for its further
growth.
The large-scale strategy of cooperation
between relevant Russian and Indian agencies, approved today, is aimed at
stepping up economic cooperation. The document provides for removing barriers
to investment, promoting major mutually beneficial projects in priority areas
and enhancing scientific, technological and innovative cooperation.
I am convinced that the establishment of a
free trade area between India and the Eurasian Economic Union will create
additional opportunities for diversifying trade. This is our common goal and we
will soon hold the first round of talks to draft a relevant agreement.
We consider the introduction of the
practice of using national currencies in our settlements to be an important
component of our joint work with our Indian partners. Failsafe interbank
transactions could be facilitated if India joined the Bank of Russia financial
message transfer system.
Of course, Mr Prime Minister and I
discussed in detail our energy cooperation, which is a strategic area. Russia
is a reliable supplier of energy resources to the Indian market. Last year
about 2.3 million tonnes of oil, almost 550,000 tonnes of petroleum products
and 4.5 million tonnes of coal were delivered to India. A substantial part of
Russian hydrocarbon exports is sent to India from Russia’s Far East.
Indian partners own 20 percent in the
Sakhalin-1 project. Indian energy concerns are invited to join other promising
projects, such as Far Eastern LNG and Arctic LNG-2.
We consider Rosatom’s cooperation with its
Indian partners, including the construction of the modern Kudankulam Nuclear
Power Plant, a flagship joint project. Its first two units are already
operational. The third and fourth units are under construction. According to
the existing agreements, at least 12 Russian-designed power units will be built
within the next 20 years.
Russia and India are closely interacting in
the sphere of defence. The bilateral defence cooperation programme up to 2020
is being successfully implemented; its revised edition for the next 10 years is
being developed. Notably, for more than half a century now our country has been
assisting India in equipping and modernising its armed forces, including, of
course, the Navy. The Indian Navy includes many Russian-made ships, including
the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier.
Today, the Prime Minister and I visited the
Zvezda shipyard in the town of Bolshoi Kamen, where the atomic submarine Chakra
adopted by the Indian Navy was upgraded at some point. Indian submariners
trained there as well.
Russia does more than supply weapons to
India. The production of the latest military products has been launched in
conjunction with our Indian partners, and joint projects to produce Kalashnikov
small arms, Ka-226T helicopters and missile strike systems in India are
underway. We value the current level of bilateral defence cooperation and look
forward to expanding it.
Of course, during the talks we discussed in
detail bilateral cultural ties. The first events will be held in Vladivostok
shortly as part of a festival of Indian culture in our country. Instrumental
and vocal groups, dancers and martial artists from India will tour many Russian
cities.
I would also like to mention the deep
interest that the people of our countries have displayed for centuries in each
other’s culture, history and moral values. Let me recall that Russian traveller
Afanasy Nikitin was one of the first Europeans to reach India. Over 500 years
ago, he described in detail Indian customs and traditions. Russian artist and
thinker Nicholas Roerich lived and worked in India for a long time. His work is
still venerated in India.
In turn, here in Russia we deeply respect
the memory and legacy of outstanding Indian politician, scholar and philosopher
Mahatma Gandhi. A commemorative stamp has been issued in Russia on the occasion
of his 150th birth anniversary, which is marked this year.
Russia and India reaffirmed their close
positions on key global and regional issues during the discussion of
international affairs. Our states are coordinating their foreign policy
positions at such major international forums as the UN, the G20, the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation and BRICS.
Russia and India are working together to ensure
security and stability in Asia, and the Pacific and Indian oceans. We are also
cooperating in the RIC (Russia, India, and China) format: a regular trilateral
meeting took place on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka on June 28.
Of course, we also discussed other
international issues, including Afghanistan.
In conclusion, I would like to thank Mr
Prime Minister and all our Indian colleagues for productive and meaningful
talks. I am convinced that the agreements reached today will further promote
the comprehensive development of the Russian-Indian strategic partnership and
the consolidation of friendship between our people.
I would also like to thank Mr Modi for
accepting our invitation to attend the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of
Victory in the Great Patriotic War in Moscow on May 9, 2020. Mr Prime Minister,
we are looking forward to seeing you in Moscow.
Thank you for your attention.
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi
(retranslated): Your Excellency Mr President, friends,
Good evening. I am very happy to be here in
Vladivostok.
The sun rises earlier in Vladivostok than
it does in other regions of the world. This is a triumph of nature, and,
indeed, it is a source of inspiration for the entire world.
When scenarios of humankind’s development
in the 21st century are written, they say that Vladivostok is marked by the
commitment of its people to work, and it is an honour for me to be in this
city. It became possible thanks to an invitation from my close friend,
President Putin. This invitation also allowed me to become the first Prime
Minister of India to visit Vladivostok. I am very grateful to President Putin,
my friend, for this opportunity. And this is a historical coincidence that
President Putin and I have just completed the 20th annual Russian-Indian
summit.
In 2001, when Russia hosted the first such
summit, my friend, President Putin, was also President of Russia. At that time,
I accompanied our Prime Minister [Atal Bihari Vajpayee]: I was a member of the
Indian delegation and served as Chief Minister of Gujarat. Over the course of
our political careers, we have also expanded our friendship and partnership
between our countries, and we did it at a very rapid pace.
At that time, our special privileged
strategic partnership not only met the strategic interests of our countries,
but was also linked with the development of our nations and benefited them.
President Putin and I elevated our relations to a new level of cooperation on
the basis of trust and partnership. Not only did we see a quantitative leap,
but we also witnessed a qualitative leap in our relations.
First of all, we elevated our cooperation
from purely bilateral interaction between our governments: we established
contacts between our people and between private companies. Today, we have
witnessed the signing of a multitude of business agreements.
In the strategic area of defence, we have
signed an agreement to create joint ventures and to manufacture spare parts in
India. It will give a major boost to our industry. The joint venture to make
AK-203 assault rifles will take our cooperation in defence beyond narrow
relations and will also create a dependable backup operation in the form of
joint manufacturing.
Increasing the level of local production
with regard to the nuclear power plant that is being built in India with
Russia’s support will also allow us to expand our cooperation.
In addition, we will take our relations
beyond our respective capitals and establish communication between various
Indian states and Russian regions. This is not surprising, because on the one
hand, I was the chief minister in Gujarat for 13 years, and President Putin is
also very familiar with the potential and capabilities of the Russian regions.
Therefore, it is quite natural that he created the Eastern Economic Forum and
realised the importance of establishing close ties between a country such as
India, which is full of diversity, and this initiative. And we will always be
grateful for such an initiative.
After we received the invitation, we began
serious preparations for this forum. Key ministers from four Indian states and
over 150 businesspeople have come to Vladivostok. We saw the positive results
of various meetings with the Presidential Envoy in the Far East and other
representatives of the Far East authorities. This made it possible for us to
create a blueprint for promoting friendship between our regions and opened up a
variety of opportunities in the coal industry, the diamond industry, the lumber
industry, as well as agriculture and tourism. Now, in order to improve the
interconnectedness of our regions, a sea link between Chennai and Vladivostok
was proposed as a project.
In addition, we have diversified our
bilateral cooperation, given it new potential and opened up new dimensions in
this cooperation. Today, we are mostly talking not about oil and gas deals
between Russia and India, but an unprecedented level of investment by both
countries in hydrocarbons. We have also agreed on a five-year roadmap for
cooperation in this area as well as hydrocarbon and LNG production in the
Russian Far East and the Arctic region.
Our long-term cooperation in space has also
reached new heights. Gaganyaan is India’s manned flight project with the
participation of Indian cosmonauts who will be trained in Russia.
To fully use our joint investment
potential, we agreed to sign an agreement on protecting capital investment in
the future.
Russia and the Mumbai Office of the Russian
Far East Investment and Export Agency may help us promote cooperation in the
future. This will help us write new chapters in the history of our strategic
partnership.
The Indra-2018 exercises are also a sign of
friendship and cooperation between our countries.
When there was a need, Russia and India
helped each other even in the Antarctic and Arctic. Both countries understand
that we need a multipolar world to achieve peace and stability. Our cooperation
on this issue and coordination will be essential in reaching this goal. This is
why we must develop our cooperation in BRICS, the SCO and other organisations
and venues.
As always, today we held open and
meaningful talks on major international and regional issues. India wants to see
Afghanistan independent, safe, united, peaceful and democratic. Both our
countries are against external interference in the affairs of any state. In
addition, we held a useful discussion on India’s concept of an open and
inclusive Indo-Pacific Region.
As for cybersecurity, combatting terrorism,
and environmental protection, we will continue enhancing bilateral cooperation
in these areas.
Next year Russia and India will meet to
organise a high-level forum on preserving the tiger population.
And I would like to sincerely thank my
friend Vladimir Putin once again for this invitation and a very warm welcome. I
look forward to taking part with him and my other friends in the events of the
Eastern Economic Forum tomorrow. I expect to see President Putin at the annual
summit in India next year.
In 2020, Russia will chair both the SCO and
BRICS. I am convinced that under the skillful leadership of President Putin,
these organisations will see new achievements. For my part, I will give every
support to President Putin.
Thank you very much.
Source http://en.kremlin.ru