NEW DELHI: Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov today said talks between PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, were a “very positive development”. However, he also added that Russia did not have a role in organising the meeting.
Addressing a press meet here, Alipov said, “Why should India be restricted to working with the US-aligned countries only? It is necessary for India to settle its relationship with Russia. Tomorrow, the US might ask India to curb its relationship with Bangladesh, and there might be an endless list of countries the US decides upon.”
When asked if the Russian President Vladimir Putin had helped India and China to come together, the Russian Ambassador said: “We did not play any role in organising the meeting. But we are happy that the meeting between the leaders of India and China took place after five years.”
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“If India and China have good ties, it has a global impact; it is indispensable for world security. He further said: “As far as I understand, the border issue and matters pertaining to bilateral relations were discussed,” Alipov said.
He said for Russia, it has always been important and desirable that India and China maintain stable and good relations, and maintain a dialogue between themselves. “Russia has always stood for better trust between the two countries. We have never participated in bilateral negotiations nor interfered in contentious issues between India and China, ,” he added.
He said they hoped that the improvement on border and such high-level interactions between India-China, like the one that took place at Kazan, would facilitate and open new ways to a closer and trusted dialogue between the two countries and eventually result in the resolution of contentious issues, if not a complete resolution.
The Russian envoy further discussed aspects of India-Russia cooperation, including efforts to establish a direct trade payment system in roubles and rupees. “Currently, there is no direct exchange of rupee and rouble. The biggest challenge is the over-cautiousness of Indian banks regarding transactions with Russia.”
He attributed the ‘hesitation’ to pressure from the US. “The US has been meticulous in tracking transactions between India and Russia, even threatening sanctions. India, Russia, China, and other nations need to have an equal say in global financial matters,” he said.
Alipov said Russia remained a key player in India’s nuclear energy market and key supplier of military equipment.