NEW DELHI: While denying that Russia had any role in facilitating the meeting between PM Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan last week, Russian ambassador to India Denis Alipov welcomed the recent agreement between India and China to end the military standoff in eastern Ladakh, calling it a positive development in Sino-Indian ties.
Alipov also described the BRICS summit Russia hosted in Kazan as a total success saying the grouping is not an exclusive but an inclusive platform. “It is important and desirable that India and China maintain stable and good relations. This is favourable for Eurasian security and beneficial for the world at large,” said Alipov, while underlining the significance of determination and trust between the two sides to resolve the “complicated” border issue.
Alipov stated that BRICS is not intended as an anti-Western platform but as a “non-Western” one that represents emerging economies and promotes a multipolar world order. “Many BRICS nations see this as an emerging framework for developing countries,” he explained, highlighting that over 40 countries have expressed interest in joining.
Alipov also described Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky as delusional for claiming in an interview to TOI that BRICS summit was a failure. “I don’t know what he meant or what reasons he had for this statement, as he didn’t elaborate. Frankly, Ukraine’s President is completely delusional,” he said.
Alipov also discussed key aspects of India-Russia cooperation, including efforts to establish a direct trade payment system in rubles and rupees. While addressing challenges to this mechanism, he noted that both countries are working towards making bilateral payments more feasible despite financial hurdles.
Alipov further questioned why India should be restricted to working only with the US-aligned countries,and said , “Today it is necessary for India to settle its relationship with Russia; tomorrow the US might ask India to curb its relationship with Bangladesh, for example. There might be an endless list of countries the US decides upon.”