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DIPLOMACY:
INDO-RUSSIAN TIES
Sincerely
Yours
In a
mile a minute visit, President Putin impresses with his quiet but purposeful
demeanour that seeks substance over flamboyance
By
Raj Chengappa
He may lack
the flamboyance of US President Bill Clinton. And, of course, the status.
But Russian President Vladimir Putin more than made up with substance
in his four-day visit to India that ended on October 5. After all, which
visiting head of state in recent times has signed a major declaration
of strategic partnership with India, followed it up by sealing the biggest
defence deal since Independence, talked tough on Pakistan and Afghanistan,
twitted Indian businessmen for being sluggish and brushed aside international
criticism by entering into a controversial nuclear agreement with India.
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| Putin
transformed the rhetorics of a pact into clearly defined milestones |
It was a
virtuoso performance which Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said "provided
a major impetus to our relations". The 47-year-old judo black-belt
holder went about his itinerary briskly and only shortened his stride
to keep pace with a shuffling Vajpayee at Hyderabad House in Delhi where
the two signed the strategic document. Putin tried to inject some informality
in his address to the media after that but it was thwarted by the translation.
It was clear though that he meant business as he chalked out the steps
the two countries would take in the coming years to make the partnership
a working reality.
Putin's
humility is genuine. It came through at the function held to bestow the
Order of Lenin on three Indians, including former prime minister Inder
Kumar Gujral. Gujral took it on himself to make a short speech, describing
Putin as "an outstanding leader". Putin replied politely that
he was still short in experience and far from outstanding. He said philosophically,
"As soon as I feel I am outstanding, I should retire because I would
have stopped growing. So let's hope that it comes to me later rather than
sooner."
Earlier
at the joint session of Parliament, the excitement that had greeted Clinton
was missing. But Putin did strike the right note in his speech, especially
when he spoke of the menace of international terrorism and the need to
curb extremist elements nurtured in Afghanistan. Later he told INDIA TODAY,
"The visit has lived up to all my expectations." He added: "What
was very important to me was that we trusted each other."
While Putin
attended to the formal ceremonies, wife Lyudmila, wearing some striking
dresses, surprised everyone with her informality wherever she went. At
a Delhi school she even broke out into a Russian song. Later when they
visited the Taj Mahal, at the Lover's Bench Putin affectionately pulled
Lyudmila close to him for the media to take pictures.
In Mumbai,
Putin spent time talking to leading Indian businessmen about the need
to improve the abysmal trade between the two countries. His last stop
was the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre-the subject of much yack-yacking
among diplomats because of Russia's decision to co-operate with India
on nuclear energy despite a howl of protest from other big powers. For
Putin it was a mile a minute visit. And the distance he covered was truly
enormous.
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