The Hindu : Front Page : Putin, Sonia for bringing people closer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 16, 2005

Front Page

Front Page

Putin, Sonia for bringing people closer

Vladimir Radyuhin

Year-long festivals in both countries proposed in 2008, 2009

ST. PETERSBURG: United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday agreed to put greater emphasis on cultural exchanges between India and Russia to promote people-to-people contact and closer relations between the two societies.

At their meeting here, Ms. Gandhi, accompanied by External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, supported Mr. Putin's proposal to hold yearlong festivals of India and Russia on each other's soil.

Welcoming Ms. Gandhi in the presidential Konstantinovsky Palace outside St. Petersburg, Mr. Putin proposed holding a "Year of Russia" in India in 2008 and a "Year of India" in Russia in 2009. The numerous activities that would form part of the festivals would help in bringing the people of the two nations together and further strengthen the relations, he said.

Ms. Gandhi hailed the festival idea as ``wonderful,'' adding: ``I will personally involve myself in these activities.''

She said that along with high-level official interaction between India and Russia, people-to-people contacts were very important as they helped develop relations between civil societies of the two countries.

`Highlight' of the visit

Ms. Gandhi said the meeting with Mr. Putin was the ``highlight'' of her visit to Russia, the first P-5 nation she is visiting after being elected the UPA Chairperson.

Mr. Putin described Indo-Russian relations as ``developing in the best way possible" and noted the packed political agenda between the two countries

The two leaders held discussion on many issues of mutual concern, a statement from Ms. Gandhi said after the talks.

The statement noted that India and Russia saw eye-to-eye on the United Nations reforms and on making the Security Council more representative and reflective of contemporary realities.

``As victims of terrorism, both India and Russia accept the need to combat it without any compromise,'' the statement said. ``The need to control the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is manifest. The importance of the effective governance of globalisation so that it delivers benefits to the poor and the deprives is shared by both governments.''

Ms. Gandhi hailed relations between India and Russia as ``the only example in the post-World War II history of two major nations maintaining close and unbroken cooperation and friendship over decades.''

While noting that the cooperation in defence was traditionally strong, she said the two Governments were exploring the opportunities in new sectors, such energy and information technologies. She supported Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's proposal to set up an Indo-Russian study group to explore potentialities in bilateral cooperation.

Taken aback

Ms. Gandhi said she was ``taken aback'' by the beauty of Russian orthodox churches in Vladimir which she is visiting for the first time. She said she wished her children could come with her. Even though they had been twice to the country, it has changed so much she was sure that they would want to come again. Mr. Putin warmly invited Ms. Gandhi's children and their families to visit Russia.

Diplomatic sources described the meeting as most cordial and fruitful.

After lunch, Mr. Putin in a gesture of exception, warmth and respect took Ms. Gandhi on a boat trip to the Peterhoff, an architectural jewel of St. Petersburg famous for its imperial summer palaces. There he personally conducted a guided tour of historical gardens for her.

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