Modi receives Russia’s highest civilian award for selling bilateral ties

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Narendra Modi obtained Russia‘s highest civilian award for “distinctive service” in selling bilateral ties on Tuesday whilst Western international locations expressed displeasure in regards to the Indian prime minister’s go to to a longtime ally.

Vladimir Putin introduced the Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First Known 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 put up 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 navy invaded Ukraine in early 2022.

The Indian chief has averted condemning Russia whereas emphasising a peaceable settlement of the continuing conflict.

The bilateral relationship has change into difficult, nonetheless, 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 a minimum of 42 folks and reportedly 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 conflict, a wrestle 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, after 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 “an answer will not be doable on the battlefield. Between bombs, weapons and bullets, an answer and peace talks can’t be profitable. And we’ve got 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 one among a very privileged strategic partnership”.

Mr Modi was criticised again residence 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 felony in Moscow on such a day,” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned, with out mentioning Mr Modi by title.

A spokesperson for the US State Division mentioned that Washington “made fairly clear straight with India our issues about their relationship with Russia”.

“India is a strategic accomplice with whom we interact in a full and frank dialogue. And that features our issues about their relationship with Russia,” Mathew Miller mentioned.

Mr Modi final travelled to Russia in 2019, when he attended a discussion board within the jap port metropolis of Vladivostok and met with Mr Putin.

Additionally they noticed one another in September 2022 at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Group bloc in Uzbekistan.

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 wish 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 come back,” Mr Modi mentioned.