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The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, made following opening remarks at a Press Conference at the end of his visit to Russia, in Moscow, today.
“I was in Moscow for an occasion of great solemnity and significance. The 60th anniversary, yesterday, of Victory Day, when the forces of fascism and Nazism were defeated in Europe, was a day of historical resonance. It is an occasion of significance for us in India as well, since over 2 million Indian men contributed to this effort, and several thousand Indian lives were lost in attaining the final victory over fascism. The international order as we have known it arose from that historic event, whose seminal significance has become apparent even as the order itself has changed and become more fluid.
The pain of the country which has lost more than 26 million people to war is deep and real even today. I felt honoured by the invitation extended by President Putin to be here in Moscow and to pay tribute to the courage and bravery of the people of Russia whose suffering during the years of the Second World War was unparalleled. I know how poignant is the observance of Victory Day in Russia, and I was moved by the grief and emotion this event still arouses.
India being asked to participate in this very solemn observance is reflective of the close relations that characterise our ties with this great country. India-Russia relations encompass every area of interaction between States and are indeed privileged. This was so in the past and I am happy to say that it continues to be even truer today. I met President Putin yesterday and it was an occasion for a very substantial review of our ties. I appreciate the fact that he took time out on this very busy day for him, for a bilateral meeting at which we discussed several important developments since our last meeting in New Delhi in December. You have been briefed about the subjects that we covered already. Let me say that it was an extremely warm and positive meeting, though brief. President Putin told me that India is special for Russia. I reciprocated his sentiments and I look forward to a longer and a much more comprehensive discussion later this year when we hold our annual summit.
I also used the opportunity of the presence in Moscow of our Central Asian neighbours to meet the Presidents of Tajikistan and Kazakhastan. I am convinced Central Asia is not only of great strategic importance but equally so given our historical and civilisational ties. We need to invest a great deal of attention in developing strong and many-dimensional ties with our Central Asian neighbours. These were my first meetings with President Rakhmanov of Tajikistan and with President Nazarbaev of Kazakhstan. I was impressed by their desire and determination to deepen engagement with India. We discussed existing co-operation and agreed that we need to do a great deal more. I intend to follow this up in a systematic manner so that we broaden the base of our interaction, both economic and political and use the potential that exists.
Occasions like this visit also offer an opportunity to meet and interact with other world leaders. I had brief meetings on the margins of the commemorative ceremony with President Bush and spoke about my visit to the US later in the summer, and also discussed recent international events and bilateral relations with President Chirac, President Hu Jintao, President Klaus, Chancellor Schroeder, Prime Minister Koizumi, Prime Minister Erdogan and several others. International engagement is an ongoing process, and one to which I attach high importance.”
DS/SKS
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