New Delhi [India], April 1 (ANI): Noting that rupee-rouble trade has been going on for a long time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday took a dig at western countries over sanctions and their excluding some Russian banks from the SWIFT system and said there is need to avoid a financial system whose “masters can steal your money overnight”. “The rupee-ruble has been going on for a long time. We don’t want to depend on a system that would be closed anytime, and we don’t want to be part of a system whose masters can steal your money overnight,” he said on the exclusion of some Russian banks by western countries from SWIFT messaging system and the potential of rupee-rouble trade.
SWIFT is a messaging system that underpins global financial transactions. Rubbishing sanctions, Lavrov indicated that Russia would be keen to use non-western currencies for trade. The Russian Foreign Minister, who is on a two-day visit to India, also said Moscow is ready to supply oil and hi-tech weapons which New Delhi wants to buy from it. “We will be ready to supply to India any goods which it wants to buy from us. We are ready to discuss. Russia and India have very good relations,” Lavrov said in response to a query by ANI on the supply of crude oil and hi-technology defence equipment to India.
The US and other western countries have imposed sanctions against Russia over its “special operations” in Ukraine. The developments have also affected energy prices in the world. Asked if US pressure on India will affect India-Russian ties, Lavrov said, “I have no doubt no pressure will affect our partnership… They (US) are forcing others to follow their politics.” He said bilateral ties with India have developed over the decades and said the two countries were good friends and loyal partners.
“Talks are characterized by relations which we developed with India for many decades. Relations are strategic partnerships…This was the basis on which we have been promoting our cooperation in all areas,” Lavrov said. He said India’s foreign policies are characterized by independence and focus on real national legitimate interests “I believe that Indian foreign policies are characterized by independence and the concentration on real national legitimate interests. The same policy is based in the Russian Federation and this makes us, as big countries, good friends and loyal partners.”
Lavrov met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Friday.
Lavrov’s visit comes days after China’s foreign minister Wang Yi visited India last week. India-US 2+2 dialogue would be held on April 11. The Russian Foreign Minister reached New Delhi after his two-day visit to China. (ANI)
