Search the Internet           Tips

Putin for joint fight against terrorist elements

Addressing a joint session of both the Houses of Parliament, he said the same extremist organisations that were creating problems in J&K were behind the troubles in Chechnya and other northern territories of Russia. He suggested that India and Russia should jointly fight the menace.

The Russian president said India and Pakistan should resolve the Kashmir issue through bilateral efforts and expressed his disapproval of outside interference. He regretted that during the past 50 years, the two countries did not succeed in resolving it, but praised India's consistent position on the issue.

Putin's remarks on Kashmir and other issues triggered thunderous applause from those assembled.

Putin hoped that the declaration of strategic partnership he signed with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Tuesday would turn out to be a strong basis for a multi-polar world.

On India's stand on the nuclear issue, Putin was confident that the country was moving towards tighter non-proliferation norms. He also assured that Russia's ties with other countries would not be at the cost of its special relations with New Delhi. He said Russia wanted to see India as a prosperous country and a major factor in contributing towards global stability.

Putin said both Russia and India were large pluralistic federal states with wide cultural diversity. The two were also similar in their endeavour to maintain national unity in diversity.

The Russian president was led into Parliament in a ceremonial procession by Vice President Krishan Kant, Prime Minister Vajpayee and Lok Sabha Speaker G M C Balayogi. Putin was virtually mobbed by legislators eager to shake hands with him.

Three of the parliamentarians braved the security guards and honoured Putin by presenting him with shawls. Two of them were women members from West Bengal.

Soon after his arrival in Parliament to deliver his address, Putin went around the first row of seats and shook hands with former president R Venkataraman and former prime ministers I K Gujral and Chandra Shekhar.

UNI

The Putin visit: The full coverage

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report