Today's era is not of war: PM Modi to Russian President Putin
Samarkand, Sep 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday pushed Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the conflict in Ukraine, saying "today's era is not of war" even as he called for finding ways to address the global food and energy security crisis.
Modi also underlined the importance of democracy, dialogue and diplomacy during a bilateral meeting with Putin that took place on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in this Silk Road city.
"Today the biggest worry before the world, especially developing countries, is food security, fuel security, fertilisers. We must find ways on these problems and you will also have to consider it. We will get an opportunity to talk about these issues," Modi said in his opening remarks.
On his part, Putin told Modi that he was aware of India's concerns over the Ukraine conflict and that Russia will do everything possible to end it as soon as possible.
"I know about your position on the conflict in Ukraine. I know about your concerns. I know that you share these concerns and we all want an end to all of these as soon as possible," Putin said in his televised opening remarks at the meeting.
The Russian President said Ukraine has refused to engage in the negotiation process and it wants to achieve its "objectives on the battlefield militarily."
"We will keep you abreast of everything that is happening over there," Putin conveyed to Modi.
Following the meeting, Modi described the talks as "wonderful".
"Had a wonderful meeting with President Putin. We got the opportunity to discuss furthering India-Russia cooperation in sectors such as trade, energy, defence and more. We also discussed other bilateral and global issues," he tweeted.
In his opening remarks, President Putin said the ties between India and Russia continued to develop "very rapidly" and both sides are actively engaged at international platforms on key issues.
"It is important that we constantly coordinate our positions," he said.
In his remarks, Modi flagged concerns over food security, energy security, fertiliser supplies and said "we must find ways and you will also have to consider it."
The prime minister said he is thankful to Russia and Ukrain for facilitating rescue of Indian students from various areas of Ukraine in the initial phase of the conflict.
"I know today's era is not of war. We discussed this issue with you on phone several times, that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue touch the entire world. We will have the opportunity to talk today about how we can move forward on the road of peace in the coming days," Modi said.
The prime minister said ties between India and Russia have strengthened manifold and New Delhi values its relationship with Moscow.
"Ties between India and Russia have grown manifold. We give importance to the relationship as we have been friends who have stayed together for many decades and the world knows what Russia's relations with India have been and what India's relationship with Russia have been. The world knows that this is an unbreakable friendship," Modi said.
The prime minister hoped that the talks would strengthen bilateral ties and help fulfil aspirations of the world.
In his remarks, Putin also talked about his "warm memories" of visiting India in December last year and invited Modi to visit Russia.
In a tweet, the prime minister's office described the talks as "productive"
"The two leaders had productive discussions on a wide range of subjects aimed at further strengthening India-Russia ties," it said on Twitter.
In the last few months, India has increased the import of discounted crude oil from Russia notwithstanding increasing disquiet over it by several Western powers.
India's crude oil imports from Russia have jumped over 50 times since April and now it makes up for 10 per cent of all crude bought from overseas.
Last month, Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov said Russia appreciates India for not supporting attempts to isolate it in multilateral forums and that bilateral trade between the two countries is on an upswing.
India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.
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'Creator of modern India': Cong pays tributes to Jawaharlal Nehru on birth anniversary
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Thursday paid rich tributes to India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his birth anniversary, with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi saying his democratic, progressive and inclusive values are the cornerstone of India and will always remain so.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hailed Nehru as the architect of modern India and the one who took India from zero to the peak.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also paid floral tributes to Nehru at his memorial 'Shantivan' here.
India's first and longest-serving prime minister, Nehru was born on this date in 1889 in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad (now Prayagraj). He was one of the leading faces of the country's freedom struggle. He breathed his last on May 27, 1964.
In a post in Hindi on X, Rahul Gandhi said, "Respectful tribute to the creator of modern India, creator of institutions, first Prime Minister of India, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, on his birth anniversary. Democratic, progressive, fearless, visionary, inclusive ' these values ''of 'Hind Ke Jawahar' are our ideal and the cornerstone of India and will always remain so."
In his post in Hindi on X, Kharge said, "On the 135th birth anniversary of 'Hind ke Jawahar', the architect of modern India, the one who took India from zero to the peak, the one who made India develop in scientific, economic, industrial and various fields, the one who constantly gave the message of 'unity in diversity' to the country, the fearless sentinel of democracy and our source of inspiration, we remember his unprecedented contribution to the country."
He also shared an excerpt from Nehru's 'The Discovery of India'.
Priyanka Gandhi shared a quote by Nehru which states that fear is the foundation of all the evils in the world.
"When we achieved independence after decades of struggle and countless sacrifices, there were still people who used to play the politics of scaring and misleading the innocent public. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru ji fought them bravely and told the common people - 'Daro Mat (Do not be afraid)'!"
"People who spread fear among the public cannot be true representatives of the public. Public servants stand in the forefront with their heads held high so that people can live without fear. Pandit Nehru ji always taught the people to be fearless and serve without fear, and on the other hand kept the public supreme at every stage of nation building," she said in her post in Hindi on X.
She hailed him as "the creator of modern India".
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh recalled that on November 14, 1949, India's prime minister was presented with an Abhinandan Granth as he turned 60.
"The Editorial Board for the preparation of this magnificent 700-page volume had some of the most distinguished names in Indian public life as members-- Rajendra Prasad, Puroshottamdas Tandon, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, K.M. Munshi, Govind Das, Vishwanath More, Nandalal Bose, S.H. Vatsyayan, and Lanka Sundaram. Over a hundred personalities and scholars from across the world contributed to the Granth," he said.
Governor General C Rajagopalachari's opening was very brief but was, as always, telling and conveyed much, Ramesh said.
"Then came the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who laid bare his heart and revealed the true meaning of his relationship with the Prime Minister. This was some eight months after the Prime Minister had unveiled a statue of the Sardar in Godhra," he recalled.
"There has been so much written by and on him that it is timely that the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund (JNMF) has just announced its initiative to create a cutting-edge, multimedia digital archive. The archive will be launched on November 14, 2025," Ramesh said in his post on X.
Congress general secretary, in-charge organisation, K C Venugopal also paid rich tributes to Nehru on the occasion of his birth anniversary, hailing him as the architect of modern India, the visionary that laid the foundation of our republic, and the world leader who was truly admired by every nation across the globe.
"His unique role in our history, of being a crucial part of the freedom struggle and then leading independent India for nearly two decades, makes his contributions truly remarkable especially because of the values he upheld during his time," Venugopal said.
His unflinching commitment to democratic principles, secularism and welfare of the poor and marginalised was the hallmark of his governance and will continue to inspire us for generations to come, he said on X.
The Congress, on its official X handle, said Nehru, envisioned India's destiny and shaped it through his relentless pursuit of freedom, democracy and progress.
"He laid the foundation for a modern and self-reliant India, giving her the wings to reach for the stars," the party said.
"Today, we honour his unmatched & exemplary legacy," it added.
