In Moscow, PM Modi calls Russia India’s ‘all-weather friend’, ‘trusted ally’, hails Putin’s leadership

“No matter how low the temperature dips below minus (zero degrees Celsius) during Russian winter, India-Russia friendship has always remained in ‘plus’, it is full of warmth. This relationship is built on the strong foundation of mutual trust and mutual respect,” Modi said at the event, which also saw the presence of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra.

PM Modi said the world had long seen an “influence-oriented global order.” “But what the world needs right now is confluence, not influence, and no one can deliver this message better than India, which has a strong tradition of worshipping confluences,” Modi said. He said India and Russia are working on the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor and that the two countries were discovering each other through the Ganga-Volga dialogue.

“Two years ago, the first commercial consignment also reached here from the North-South Transport Corridor… Now, we are also working on the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor. Both our countries are discovering each other through Ganga Volga dialogue and civilisation,” said PM Modi during his 40-minute address.

He also revealed his government’s plans for the third term, saying that India was undergoing a transformation and that the pace of development over the past ten years had taken the world by surprise.

“Today’s India is full of self-confidence, unlike the situation before 2014, and this is our biggest capital,” Modi said, attacking the previous regimes from the podium in Moscow. “When people like you bless us, even the biggest goals can be achieved. You all know that today’s India achieves whatever goal it sets its mind on,” he said.

Modi said that exactly one month ago, he took oath as prime minister for the third consecutive term. At that time, he resolved to work three times as hard and fast to fulfil the country’s aspirations, headded.

“Our government envisions making India the world’s third-largest economy, building three crore homes for the poor and turning three crore poor women in villages to ‘lakhpati didi’,” PM Modi said.

Stressing India’s important position in the new world order, he said, “India’s growing capability has given the whole world a hope of stability and prosperity. India is being seen as a strong pillar of the new, emerging, multipolar, world order.”

PM Modi said that India is always the first country to provide aid whenever any country faces a crisis. “When India talks about peace, dialogue and diplomacy, the whole world listens. Whenever the world faces a crisis, India is the first country to reach there,” he said about India’s oft-repeated position on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Earlier, on Monday, Putin and Modi held an informal meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence of the Russian president near Moscow. “This is the sixth time I have come to Russia in the last 10 years, and in these years, we have met each other 17 times. All these meetings have increased trust and respect. When our students were stuck in the conflict, President Putin helped us in getting them back to India. I once again thank the people of Russia and my friend, President Putin for it,” PM Modi said on Tuesday.