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PM Modi's remarks at joint press meet with President Putin

Published By : Admin | September 4, 2019 | 14:20 IST
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Your Excellency President Putin,
Friends,
Namaskar,
DobreVecher!

Where the dawn comes first in the whole world, where the victory over the nature of the unstoppable struggle of our Russian friends has become the inspiration for the whole world and where new stories of human development are being written in the 21st century. I am extremely happy to have come to such a great place-Vladivostok. And it has been made possible on the invitation of my dear friend President Putin. For this I thank from my heart my friend - President Putin.The invitation, which gave me the privilege of being the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Vladivostok. I am grateful to President Putin, my friend for this.

And it is a pleasant historical coincidence that President Putin and I have participated in the 20th Annual Summit between India and Russia. In the year 2001, when the Indo-Russian summit took place in Russia for the first time, my friend Putin was the President of Russia, and I was in the delegation of India with Atal Ji, the then Prime Minister and I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. During the political journey of President Putin and me, the friendship and cooperation between the two countries has grown rapidly and gone a long way. During this time, our Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership has not only served the strategic interests of our countries, rather, we have linked it with the development of people and their direct benefits. President Putin and me have taken this relationship to new heights of cooperation through trust and participation. And its achievements have brought not only quantitative but qualitative changes also. First, we have brought co-operation out of the realm of the people and added the immense energy of the private industry. Today we have dozens of business agreements.

Even in the strategic areas like defense, today’sagreement on the manufacturing of spare parts of Russian equipment by Joint Ventures of both the countries in India will promote the industry. This agreement and the joint venture of the AK-203 earlier this year are steps that are giving our defense cooperation a solid foundation of co-manufacturing outside the limited environment of Buyer-Seller. Increasing localization of Nuclear Plants in collaboration with Russia in India is also developing a genuine partnership between us in this field. Second, we are moving our relations beyond the capitals to the states of India and the regions of Russia outside the capitals. This is not surprising because on the one hand I have been the Chief Minister of Gujarat for a long timeand President Putin is also aware of capabilities and potential of Russia's territories. Therefore, it is natural that he conceived the Eastern Economic Forum and understood the importance of connecting a diverse country like India with it. No matter how muchyou appreciate it, less it is.

Immediately after receiving his invitation, we began to prepare very seriously. For this, Commerce Minister of India, Chief Minister of 4 states and more than 150 businessmen came to Vladivostok. Meeting with the special envoy to Far East and all 11 Governors of Far East have given very good results. Relations between states and regions found a framework. And coal, Diamond, Mining, rare earth, agriculture, timber, Pulp & Paper and tourism have revealed many new possibilities. And now a maritime route between Chennai and Vladivostok has also been proposed to increase connectivity between the regions. Third, we have greatly diversified our bilateral cooperation and added new dimensions to it. Nowadays the highlight and headline is the unprecedented investment in each other's hydrocarbon sector, not just oil and gas deals between India and Russia. A 5-year roadmap for cooperation in this sector, and cooperation in the search for Hydro-Carbon and LNG in Far East and the Arctic have been agreed. Our long association in space is touching new heights. Astronauts of India will receive training in Russia for Gaganyan, i.e. Indian Human Space Flight. To achieve the full potential of mutual investment, we have agreed to have an investment protection agreement soon. India's 'Russia Plus Desk' and Russia's Far East Investment and Export Agency's Mumbai office will facilitate mutual investment.

Friends,

To our Strategic Partnership,new chapters are also being added. The immense Tri-Services Exercise 'Indra-2019' between the two countries symbolizes our growing trust and confidence. Whenever the need arises, India and Russia work together not only in ordinary places of the world butin Antarctica and Arctic also. Both countries are well aware that in today's era, multi-polar world is essential for peace and stability. And the role of our cooperation and coordination in building it will be important. Therefore, we intuitively cooperate closely in BRICS, SCO and other global forums. Today we have open and meaningful discussions on many of the major global and regional issues. India wants to see an Afghanistan that is free, secure, unbroken, peaceful and democratic. We are both against external interference in the internal affairs of any country. We also had a fruitful discussions onconcept of India's free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. We agree that India and Russia will cooperate and strengthen in areas such as cyber security, counter-terrorism, environment protection. India and Russia have agreed to organize a High Level Forum on Tiger Conservation next year.

Once again I express my great gratitude to my friend President Putin very much for this invitation and welcome reception. I am looking forward to attending the Eastern Economic Forum with them tomorrow, and with my other leaderfriends. I will wait for President Putin’s visit to India for Annual Summit next year. Russia will chair the SCO and BRICS in the year 2020. I believe that these organizations under President Putin will set new records for success. India and I will have all my personal supportfor this.

Thank you very much

SpasibaBalshoi!

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Friends,

In this series of post-budget webinars, today marks the fourth and most significant one. Fulfilling aspirations of people is not merely a subject of discussion-it is the core objective of this budget and the firm resolve of this government. Education, Skill, Health, Tourism, Sports, and Culture are fundamental sectors that serve as the major means of fulfilling these aspirations. Therefore, in this webinar, we are deliberating on these crucial dimensions. For the implementation of budget announcements, the thoughts and suggestions of all experts, policymakers, scholars, entrepreneurs, and my young companions present here are extremely important. I warmly welcome and greet you all in this fourth session of the budget webinar.

Friends,

India today is working on a vast vision for preventive and holistic health. In recent years, the country’s health infrastructure has been strengthened, with hundreds of new medical colleges opening across districts. Through the Ayushman Bharat scheme and wellness centers, healthcare services have expanded to villages nationwide. Our yoga and Ayurveda are gaining popularity across the world. You will certainly discuss various aspects of this, but I would like to highlight one important subject-the care economy. In the coming decade, the number of senior citizens in the country will rise rapidly. Moreover, even today, many countries across the world face a huge demand for caregivers. Therefore, in the health sector, new skill-based employment opportunities are emerging for millions of youth. I urge the health sector experts present in this webinar to suggest new training models and partnerships so that the training ecosystem in the country can be further strengthened.

Friends,

Closely related to this is the subject of telemedicine. Today, a large number of people in remote areas are benefiting from it, and trust in it is steadily growing. However, I believe there is still a great need to increase awareness and ease of access in this area.

Friends,

Over the past decade, a major transformation has taken place in the mindset of the country. Today, beyond the boundaries of villages, towns, and cities, every young Indian wants to do something new, driven by the spirit to achieve. This new mindset of the new generation is the nation’s greatest strength, its most valuable capital for a bright future. To capitalize on this, we must continuously modernize and upgrade our education system. The new education policy has laid the necessary foundation for this. Now, it is essential that our curriculum remains updated according to market needs! We must accelerate the process of linking our education system with the real-world economy. We need to place greater focus on subjects like AI and automation, digital economy, and design-driven manufacturing.

Friends,

The country is consistently working to connect education with employment and enterprise. New models like university townships reflect this approach. Today, India is promoting the A.V.G.C. sector-Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics. India is moving towards an innovation-driven economy. Many academicians and academic institutions are connected to this webinar today. I urge you to deliberate on developing your campuses as centers of industry collaboration and research-driven learning. This will provide students with real-world exposure and strengthen the skill ecosystem.

Friends,

A very important subject is STEM-Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It is a matter of great pride that the number of daughters showing interest in STEM subjects is steadily increasing in our country. As we prepare for futuristic technologies, it is crucial that no daughter is held back due to lack of opportunities. In this webinar, you must discuss this direction. We need to place greater emphasis on increasing women’s participation. We must build a research ecosystem where young researchers have full opportunities to experiment and work on new ideas.

Friends,

Youth power becomes national power only when it is healthy, disciplined, and full of self-confidence. That is why, in recent years, sports have been seen as an important stream of national development. Initiatives like Khelo India have infused new energy into the sports ecosystem of the country. Sports infrastructure is being strengthened across the nation. In this webinar, you must deliberate on some key questions: How can talent be identified more accurately even from small towns and villages? How can structured financial support for thousands of athletes be improved? And thirdly, how can our sports bodies be made more professional? In the coming years, the Commonwealth Games will be held in India, and the country is striving to host the Olympics. In such a scenario, we must identify young athletes at an early age and nurture them, only then will India be able to raise its flag high in international competitions.

Friends,

Tourism and culture play a major role in creating new employment opportunities. When tourism grows in a place, the branding of that location or city also increases. This accelerates the overall development of that city. India has no shortage of historical sites. But for a long time, tourism remained confined to a few select destinations. Now, we are focusing on developing tourist destinations across every corner of the country.

Friends,

In this webinar, you must discuss a holistic approach to strengthening India’s tourism ecosystem. Your suggestions on trained guides, hospitality skills, digital connectivity, community participation, cleanliness, tourism, and related subjects will be very important.

Friends,

When institutions, industry, and academia work together, the pace of transformation accelerates. I am confident that this series of post-budget webinars will provide concrete direction for the future. Such efforts will further strengthen the foundation of a developed India. And friends, it is a very pleasant experience that due to the tradition of webinars, after the budget and especially during implementation, I have been told that this year, lakhs of people connected to these subjects-experts, beneficiaries, and those involved in the system-have actively participated in the webinars. Our officials have informed me that excellent and practical suggestions are coming in. This means not only solutions to problems but also new energy and new momentum to move forward with confidence. I say this is a very delightful experience of the webinars. All those who participated in these webinars are worthy of appreciation and gratitude. Once again, I extend my best wishes and heartfelt thanks to all of you.

Namaskar!