Indicating unease over India's growing closeness with the United States, Russia on Thursday said it does not "feel comfortable" at being put on the same plane as New Delhi's "newly-acquired partners", who had earlier imposed sanctions on this country.
Russian Ambassador Alexander M Kadakin reminded how his country had always stood by India as the closest friend and underlined that the two countries are in "greater need of each other" in the "strikingly new world".
Maintaining that "our relations are special after all", he said at an event that, "We sincerely regard India as our closest and best friend".
He talked about what Russia has done for India, saying, "Hardly will you name another country which would have twice supplied nuclear fuel for Tarapur against the backdrop of rigid sanctions, would have leased nuclear submarines or offered unique defense technologies for BrahMos world's best cruise missiles or the fifth-generation aircraft."
Summing up this as "the gist of our strategic relationship", Kadakin said, "Yes, it is also the reason why Russia does not exactly feel comfortable when attempts are made to put us on the same shelf with others as regards opportunities for future contracts and tenders under the guise of equal chances for all including several newly-acquired partners or contract-seekers who had clamped sanctions against India."
He did not name any country but was clearly referring to the US which had imposed sanctions on India after the nuclear tests of 1974 as also 1998.
However, India's engagement with the US has recently seen a significant growth with the two countries signing the landmark civil nuclear deal and the purchases of defence hardware from the US growing.
The ambassador was speaking at his public reception organised by Delhi Study Group to celebrate his completion of 25 years as a diplomat in India.
Emphasising on the need of a greater cooperation between the two countries, he said, "Let us be in no doubt: in this strikingly new world, which smells and sounds different, our two countries are in greater need of each other."
Image: Russian Ambassador Alexander M Kadakin
