🇷🇺💬 Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov's interview with the "Navbharat Times" newspaper (in Hindi)

🗓 February 14, 2025

Key theses:

#RussiaIndia

🔹 The year 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of very fruitful and consequential Russia-India special and privileged strategic partnership. We are busy preparing new bilateral contacts at various levels that will be building upon intense engagements last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia twice and two bilateral Inter-Governmental Commissions (on trade and defence) held their sessions.

🔹 We achieved meaningful progress in our diversified and mutually beneficial cooperation. We aim to expedite negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and India to remove barriers, expand market access and create new opportunities in this vast market. Talks continue on strengthening financial, fintech and banking ties, using national currencies and digital instruments for bilateral settlements.

#BRICS

🔹 Russia has consistently advocated an increased role for the emerging economies, in particular, represented by the BRICS countries. Their strengthening economic heft should be followed by their greater say at the international table. Sustainable development can be guaranteed by the democratisation of global governance and equal access to financial, technological and natural resources.

🔹 Russia, India, China and other independently minded countries, including the expanded BRICS, are keen on creating an open, transparent, fair, predictable, inclusive, equitable, non-discriminatory, and consensus-based multilateral trade system. It will go a long way to providing a strong and effective global financial safety net, inclusive and just international financial architecture. Long overdue are reforms of the Bretton Woods institutions.

#Ukraine

🔹 Russia has always favoured a negotiated solution to the Ukraine conflict. US President Donald Trump has signalled his intention to be engaged in achieving peace. We are open to examining his ideas. Earlier, President Putin laid out a basis for a settlement, and it includes recognition of ground realities, Ukraine’s neutral status, demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, ensuring the rights, freedoms and interests of the Russian-speaking citizens in Ukraine, and cancellation of all Western sanctions against Russia.

🔹 The voice of India, one of significant pillars of an emerging multipolar world, is certainly important. Especially so because India is a long-time friend and its outreach to Russia is motivated by noble goals. We appreciate New Delhi’s principled and balanced position on the Ukraine conflict and its efforts to create a favourable atmosphere conducive to finding a peaceful solution.

Read in full (in Hindi)