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“We have a lot of work to do,” says President Vladimir Putin, inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Russia

Sabir Ansary — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 20:39:57 +0000

President Putin asked EAM Jaishankar to extend “his best wishes” and an invitation to Russia to Prime Minister Modi.

It is worth noting that 21 summits have taken place annually, alternately in India and Russia. (Images: X/@DrSJaishankar)

Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi: Amid the ongoing war with Ukraine and indirect involvement in the Middle East crisis, namely the war between Israel and Hamas, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Russia next year. issues and talk about the prospects for the development of bilateral relations. This development took place when Indian Minister of External Affairs (EAM) S Jaishankar held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow at the Kremlin on Wednesday in the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Indian Ambassador to Russia Pavan Kapoor.

Earlier in the day, Jaishankar met Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and held discussions on a wide range of global issues in the Indo-Pacific, the conflict in Ukraine and the Gaza issue.

“We will be happy to see our friend Mr. Prime Minister Modi in Russia. We will be able to discuss all current issues and talk about the prospects for the development of Russian-Indian relations. We have a very large amount of work to do,” President Putin said, as reported by the state news agency Tass.

President Putin asked EAM Jaishankar to pass on “his best wishes” to PM Modi as well as an invitation to Russia with a subtle hint that the Prime Minister will be busy with the upcoming parliamentary elections tentatively scheduled for March-April next year as President Putin said he “realized that India will be busy with internal affairs next year as the country is about to hold elections to elect a new government.”

EAM Jaishankar is in Russia on a five-day official visit. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow that the EAM had already met with its Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

“India is an important partner of Russia, so the ministers will discuss the contacts they have had and the course of their conversation,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

While addressing the joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Jaishankar appreciated the trade between India and Russia, which is at an all-time high. He said negotiations on a free trade agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Union will resume in January next year.

“It’s always good to be in Moscow. So I agree with you that our relationship has been very strong and stable, and I think we have lived up to the responsibilities of a special and privileged strategic partnership,” Jaishankar told Lavrov.

The Foreign Minister said the relationship between New Delhi and Moscow remains very stable and strong and is based on strategic convergence of geopolitical interests.

Jaishankar on Tuesday held a “comprehensive and productive” meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Manturov on bilateral economic cooperation during which they witnessed the signing of some “very important” agreements regarding the construction of the future power-generating units of Kudankulam Nuclear Power . factory in Tamil Nadu.

It is worth noting that 21 summits have taken place annually, alternately in India and Russia. The last summit took place in December 2021 in New Delhi.

Putin also said that trade turnover between Russia and India is growing, mainly because of crude oil and high-tech areas, Tass reported.

“Our trade turnover is growing simultaneously and at a steady pace for the second year in a row. The growth rate this year is even higher than last year,” he said.

As soon as the meeting started, the Russian president told Jaishankar that they would discuss the conflict in Ukraine.

“We know Prime Minister Modi’s position and we have repeatedly discussed this – the position regarding his attitude to complex processes, including hotspots, to the situation in Ukraine,” Putin said.

“I have repeatedly informed him about the situation surrounding this conflict. I know he wants to do everything he can to resolve this issue peacefully, but we’ll talk more about it now. We will provide you with additional information regarding this situation.”

Ties between India and Russia remained strong despite Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. India has not yet condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and continues to insist that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

India’s imports of Russian crude oil have increased significantly despite growing unrest in many Western countries.

The two leaders also discussed progress in economic cooperation, connectivity efforts, military-technical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. Jaishankar noted that India-Russia ties reflect geopolitical realities, strategic convergence and mutual benefit.

In a post shared on As strategic partners, they discussed the international situation and contemporary issues. Views were exchanged on the Indo-Pacific, the conflict in Ukraine, the situation in Gaza, Afghanistan and Central Asia, the BRICS, the SCO, the G20 and the UN. Noted the progress in our economic cooperation, energy trade, connectivity efforts, military-technical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. Signed Protocol on consultations for the period 2024-2028. India-Russia relations reflect geopolitical realities, strategic convergence and mutual benefit.”

An extensive and useful meeting with Prime Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia.

As strategic partners, they discussed the international situation and contemporary issues. Thoughts exchanged on the Indo-Pacific, the conflict in Ukraine, the situation in Gaza, Afghanistan and Central Asia, BRICS, SCO, G20 and… pic.twitter.com/Uk9VTbZm5y

—Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) December 27, 2023

Speaking about the bilateral cooperation, Jaishankar appreciated the fact that trade between India and Russia is at an all-time high and crossed the USD 50 billion mark last year. “What is important is that this trade is more balanced, sustainable and provides greater market access,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sergey Lavrov expressed Russia’s readiness to support India’s initiative to produce military products as part of the ‘Made In India’ programme. Lavrov said that he and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar took a number of steps during the meeting that will expand cooperation between India and Russia, including the launch of the North-South International Transport Corridor and the construction of the Chennai Vladivostok route.

(With input from the agency)

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Jill Biden stumbles by inviting NCAA winners (and losers) to the White House

Jeffrey Bailey — Fri, 12 May 2023 06:05:35 +0000

WASHINGTON – It was, in sports terms, an unforced foul.

Jill Biden, the first lady, attended the NCAA Women’s Championship game last weekend, sat in the stands with college basketball players and told them how far female athletes had come. On Monday, she was still so excited that she said she hoped to invite Louisiana State, the team that swept Iowa’s title, 102-85, to the White House on Sunday.

“But you know,” she added, “I’m going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come too, because they played such a good game.”

And with that, Dr. Biden on the fraught tradition of White House sports invitations, which have become more politicized by the year as the forces of race, social justice, gender and politics continue to reshape the realms of athletics and fandom.

Sports fans, newscasters, and the athletes themselves were quick to point out to the first lady that invitations to the White House should only be issued to winners. But the game was about more than just who won and who lost.

The story centered on Angel Reese, the star forward for LSU, who led her team’s efforts to overthrow Iowa and their prime minister, Caitlin Clark. Mrs. Reese is black and Mrs. Clark is white. And Ms. Clark, the consensus national player of the year who used a disparaging remark hand gesture to antagonize her opponents, never received as much criticism for her behavior as Mrs. Reese waving her champion ring finger to Mrs. Clark during the title game, as the Tigers pulled away to win.

“If we lost, we wouldn’t be invited to the White House,” Ms. Reese said on a podcast. She indicated on Tuesday that she would not accept an apology anyway and left open the question of whether she would visit the White House. We’re going to the Obamas. We’ll see Michelle; we’ll see Barack,” she added.

Her comment dismissed the cleanup efforts being conducted on behalf of Dr. Biden, a first lady who makes few public mistakes but whose missteps have drawn rebukes from vocal groups who said she lacked cultural knowledge.

Last summer, she faced criticism from Latino groups when she compared the diversity of the Hispanic community to the breadth of breakfast taco options available in Texas. In 2021 she messed up the Spanish saying “sí se puede” during a visit to the first headquarters of the United Farm Workers of America.

Katherine Jellison, a historian who studies first ladies, said the current role, which has no formal expectations, has been surrounded by more cultural landmines than in years past, both because of the immediacy of social media responses and the range of platforms. available to critics.

“I would just say there is more awareness and also more ways to comment through social media and traditional media,” Ms Jellison said. “It’s definitely a new ball game in that way.”

Both Ms. Clark and Ms. Reese have given multiple interviews about the White House invitation Mrs. Clark says she did not believe that runners-up should be present. And Ms. Reese was particularly vocal on Twitter, calling the first lady’s invitation to both teams “a joke” and retweeting a message from sports reporter Chris Williamson: “Your apology should be as loud as your disrespect.”

On Tuesday, Vanessa Valdivia, the first lady’s press secretary, said Dr. Biden tried to shine a spotlight on all female athletes when she suggested inviting both teams.

“The first lady loved watching the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship alongside young student-athletes and admires how far women have progressed in the sport since passing Title IX,” Ms. Valdivia wrote on Twitter, referring to the groundbreaking 1972 law. which prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex. in sports. “Her comments in Colorado were meant to applaud the historic game and all female athletes. She looks forward to celebrating the LSU Tigers on their championship win at the White House.”

The first lady has previously invited female athletes to the White House and has used those invitations to highlight issues of fairness in sports. On Equal Pay Day in 2021, she delivered remarks along with Megan Rapinoe and Margaret Purce of the US women’s soccer team, both of whom have pushed for female athletes to be paid the same amount as male athletes.

“You know I’m old enough to remember when we got Title IX. And we fought so hard, right? We fought so hard,” said Dr. Biden in her remarks Monday. “And look where women’s sport is today. So we have to keep working. We have to keep working.”

Sports teams began visiting the White House in 1865, when President Andrew Johnson welcomed the Washington Nationals and Brooklyn Atlantics from baseball. And in recent years, some athletes have waived the ceremonial visit in exchange for the opportunity to voice their opinion on the invite — or the president.

Golfer Tom Lehman once turned down an invitation from President Bill Clinton, who called Mr. Lehman a “baby killer who evades the draft.” In 2012, Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas skipped a championship ceremony hosted by President Barack Obama because, he said“the federal government is out of control.”

No president has provoked more protests than Donald J. Trump, who was also known to withdraw invitations when told athletes were planning not to attend. In 2018, he withdrew an invitation to the Philadelphia Eagles over a debate over players kneeling during the national anthem at games.

On Tuesday, President Biden said that both the men’s and women’s basketball champions will be invited to the White House. (No word on Iowa, though.)

“We can all learn a lot from watching these champions,” Biden said on Twitter, adding, “I look forward to welcoming them to each of their visits to the White House.”

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