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Putin Stands for Russia-China-India Strategic Cooperation
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday that Russia, China and India should join their hands to defend Asia's common interests on the principles of "openness and transparency."
"It is impossible to establish a new architecture of international relations as a whole without the participation of Russia, China and India," Putin said in an interview here with the Russian RTR television on the eve of his state visit to India, which is also the first trip to New Delhi by a Russian state head in the last ten years.
"Russia, China and India have common interests in Asia, which we want to promote together. I see nothing special or dangerous in it," noted Putin, who will visit India on October 2-5.
National interests are the basis of Russian-Indian strategic partnership. The two states move to set up such a "long-time partnership," which is not directed against any third country, in a bid to preserve the stability in Asia and on the world as a whole, said the president.
Meanwhile, Putin stressed that Russia will maintain "the best relations" with all its Asian neighbors.
He urged all the countries eager to obtain nuclear weapons "not to hurry." "We call on them to think together with the international community about the consequences they might face as regards their national interests within their countries, in their relations with their neighbors and the international community's attitude towards this," he said.
He expressed the hope that India will coordinate its activity in the nuclear sphere with the international community.
"We believe it would be right if India settles all its problems with the international organizations controlling activity in this field, first of all with the International Atomic Energy Agency," Putin stated.
On Russia-U.S ties, Putin said Russia does not view the United States either as its enemy or as its opponent. The U.S., one of the biggest countries in the world, is Russia's partner today, he emphasized.
The president admitted that Moscow and Washington "have different approaches to certain issues concerning the whole humankind, different approaches in the sphere of security and on the problems of preserving the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty of 1972."
"We are holding discussions with our American partners on these problems. But they are not of a hostile or aggressive nature," he said. He also welcomes India develops its relations with all countries in the world, including the United States.
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