“Many years ago we started moving in our relations with India, with China, with many other countries from using dollars and euros to more and more use of national currencies. Under these circumstances this trend I believe will be intensified,” Lavrov said.
“We will be ready to supply to India any goods which India wants to buy … and I have no doubt that a way will be found to bypass the artificial impediments which illegal unilateral sanctions by the west create.”
India-Russia trade is on ? Lavrov works on measures to bypass 'sanctions'
New Delhi
"We are friends," Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told a media conference after his meeting with Indian counterpart, Dr S Jaishankar.
He also said Indian actions 'inspires respect'.
For his part, Indian External Affairs Minister emphasised that as a developing economy, global volatility in different domains is of "particular concern" to India.
"It is important for both countries that their economic, technological and people to people contacts remain stable and predictable".
The Russian minister also said India saw the Ukraine crisis in the "entirety of facts and not just in a one-sided
way".
Importantly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi allowed an audience to Russian foreign minister
while Lavrov praised India for refusal to condemn the Ukraine 'invasion'.
Lavrov was near categorical stating that New Delhi and Moscow would have ways to circumvent “illegal”
western sanctions; and the trade and arms supply will continue.
The western observers like 'The Guardian' did not miss the point - "Modi had not met the string of other foreign ministers to arrive in Delhi in recent days, including the UK foreign secretary, Liz Truss, and the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, so Lavrov looks to have been singled out for attention by the Indian leader".
British foreign secretary Liz Truss had tried to dub the month long war as one between democracies
and autocracies, but India, the world’s most populous democracy, is unwilling to buy that line.
In other words, New Delhi is insistent about its national interest and is unwilling
to break years-old ties with Russia on matters of arms sales, gas and a future realignment of the global security architecture.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told a TV channel, "I would put my country's national interests first and
I would put my energy security first....Why should I not buy it (gas)? I need it for my people".
At the same time during a panel discussion with British foreign secretary Liz Truss, EAM Dr Jaishankar almost lampooned at European double standards.
“If you look at the major buyers of oil and gas from Russia, I think you’ll find most of them are in Europe. We ourselves get the bulk of our energy supplies from the Middle East....maybe less than one percent from Russia".
Lavrov said: “These days our western colleagues would like to reduce any meaningful international issue to the
crisis in Ukraine … We appreciate that India is taking this situation in the entirety of facts, not just in a one-sided way.
I can only say that the balanced position of India which is not influenced by blackmail or diktat methods inspires
our respect.”
"I have no doubt that a way would be (found) to bypass the artificial impediments which illegal unilateral
sanctions by the West create. This relates also to the area of military-technical cooperation," Russian
foreign minister said.
ends
New Delhi
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening on a two-day visit to discuss various pros and cons related to the month old Ukraine conflict.
Mr Lavrov, who has been to China, will hold bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Friday.
This is the highest-level visit from Russia to India after Moscow launched its military operations in
Ukraine on February 24.
Of course Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held tele conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin
more than once and India has made it clear that there is no alternative to dialogue and diplomacy to end the crisis.
Meanwhile, reports suggested the controversial rupee-ruble-denominated payments could also figure at the
talks.
The new mechanism could be used as an alternative to SWIFT after the US and European Union cut off
seven Russian banks from using the Belgium-based cross-border payment system operator.
India has insisted that it has a very robust ties with Russia for decades now. Modi-Putin Summit in Delhi
was also categorical about it.
India is the only Quad member which has not condemned Russian invasion of Ukraine. External Affairs
Minister Dr Jaishankar has told Rajya Sabha that New Delhi's stance is purely guided by its own national
interest.
Coinciding with Russian Foreign Minister's visit, US Deputy NSA Daleep Singh also landed in Delhi on March 30
and held talks with Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla on Thursday, March 31.
External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar held delegation-level talks with UK Secretary of State for Foreign
Elizabeth alias Liz Truss on Thursday evening.
During the talks, Dr Jaishankar said the Roadmap 2030 for India-UK relationship has made substantial progress.
The India-UK relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the India-UK Virtual
Summit held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson on May 4, 2021.
Separately NSA Ajit Doval has held meetings with German counterpart Jens Plötner,and also Netherlands
counterpart Geoffrey Van Leeuwen and discussed geopolitical situation.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday held tele talks with External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar and discussed among other issues the "the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine”.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had also visited India last week.
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Fact of history, geography - "That is not something we want India to change,” says US
New Delhi
In the season of new align making and trying to work a new axis vis-a-vis Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US has said it is not in favour of India ''changing" its stance on Vladimir Putin and his country.
“It’s a fact of history; it’s a fact of geography. That is not something that we are seeking to change,”
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Thursday even as all eyes are on External Affairs
Minister Dr S Jaishankar's parleys with the visiting Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
"Different countries are going to have their own relationship with the Russian Federation," he stated.
Instead he said, “What we are seeking to do, whether it is in the context of India or other partners and allies around the world,
is to do all we can to see to it that the international community is speaking in unison, speaking loudly against this unjustified, unprovoked,
premeditated aggression".
He insisted that there should be a call for bringing an end to the violence, using the leverage that countries, including India, have to those ends.
Price avoided any direct reply on 'rupee-ruble trading arrangement' and said, “I would refer to our Indian partners when it comes to any
such rupee-ruble conversion that may have been discussed".
“And that is all well and good. We understand that,"he said in reference to decades old New Delhi-Moscow ties
and said, What we are asking for, what we are calling for is that all countries use the leverage that they have to make sure that that message
is coming across to Vladimir Putin loud and clear.”
ends
Imran Khan's crisis thickens, blames US
New Delhi
The opposition says it has 'won' the number game. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khansays one big nation is working to oust him and that he never wanted to be a 'slave'of a foreign country.
The crucial National Assembly session in Pakistan to debate the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan was adjourned minutes after it resumed on Thursday after three-dayrecess.
Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who presided over the session, adjourned the session till 11:30am on Sunday.
Later, Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif accused the deputy speaker of violating the Constitution.
PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that despite whatever happened in Parliament, the opposition has "won".
"We produced 175 members in the House today," he claimed.
Embattled PM Imran Khan, in a televised address claimed that the US had “threatened” him and is now seeking his removal from office.
“I never wanted to be a slave to any country. When I came to power I decided we will have an independent foreign policy," he said.
Imran's Information minister, Fawad Chaudhry, on Wednesday had tweeted: “Prime minister Imran Khan is a player who fights till the last ball. He will not resign.”
ends
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