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Narendra Modi acquired Russia’s highest civilian award for “distinctive service” in selling bilateral ties on Tuesday, at the same time as Western international locations expressed displeasure in regards to the Indian prime minister’s go to to a longtime ally.
Vladimir Putin offered the Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First-Referred to as to Mr Modi after their summit assembly on the Kremlin. The formal ceremony was held 5 years after Mr Modi was conferred the award in 2019 for “excellent achievements in selling partnership with Russia”.
The award was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Nice in honour of the patron saint of Russia.
“Honoured to obtain The Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle. I thank the Russian Authorities for conferring the award,” Mr Modi mentioned in a submit on X, dedicating the award to his fellow Indians.
Mr Modi concluded his first journey to Russia in 5 years on Tuesday. The go to had been stalled for the reason that Russian army invaded Ukraine in early 2022.
The Indian chief has prevented condemning Russia whereas emphasising a peaceable settlement of the continued struggle.
Nonetheless, the bilateral relationship has turn out to be difficult as Russia has moved nearer to China, India’s chief rival.
Mr Modi arrived in Moscow on Monday shortly after Russian missiles struck throughout Ukraine, killing no less than 42 folks and damaging a youngsters’s hospital within the capital Kyiv.
He alluded to the bloodshed whereas talking about his assembly with Mr Putin on Tuesday.
“Be it struggle, a battle or a terrorist assault, each one that believes in humanity, when there’s lack of life, he’s pained,” Mr Modi mentioned. “When harmless youngsters are killed, once we see harmless youngsters dying, then the guts pains. And that ache may be very horrible.”
The prime minister mentioned he and the Russian president shared “our opinions on Ukraine with an open coronary heart and intimately”.
“We respectfully listened to one another.”
Mr Modi mentioned that “an answer isn’t potential on the battlefield. Between bombs, weapons and bullets, an answer and peace talks can’t be profitable. And we’ve to undertake the trail of peace solely via talks.”
In televised feedback, Mr Putin mentioned “all points” have been mentioned with the Indian prime minister and that “our relationship is considered one of a very privileged strategic partnership”.
Mr Modi was criticised again house and by Western nations for greeting Mr Putin together with his signature bear hug.
“It’s a big disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the chief of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody prison in Moscow on such a day,” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned, with out mentioning Mr Modi by identify.
A spokesperson for the US State Division mentioned that Washington “made fairly clear straight with India our considerations about their relationship with Russia”.
“India is a strategic accomplice with whom we have interaction in a full and frank dialogue. And that features our considerations about their relationship with Russia,” Mathew Miller mentioned.
Mr Modi final travelled to Russia in 2019, when he attended a discussion board within the japanese port metropolis of Vladivostok and met with Mr Putin.
In addition they noticed one another in September 2022 at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation bloc in Uzbekistan.
Welcome to Vienna, PM @narendramodi ! It’s a pleasure and honour to welcome you to Austria. Austria and India are buddies and companions. I look ahead to our political and financial discussions throughout your go to! 🇦🇹 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/e2YJZR1PRs
— Karl Nehammer (@karlnehammer) July 9, 2024
From Russia, Mr Modi went to Austria as the primary Indian prime minister to go to the central European nation in 40 years.
The 2 international locations need to deepen their “relationship and nearer cooperation on varied geopolitical challenges”.
“The India-Austria friendship is robust and it’ll get even stronger within the occasions to return,” Mr Modi mentioned.
