FORTALEZA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has favoured broadening of the strategic partnership with Russia in nuclear, defence and energy sectors and invited President Vladimir Putin to visit the Kudankulam atomic power project during his trip in December for his annual summit.

The two leaders met for 40 minutes on the sidelines of the BRICS summit here late last night after their Monday meeting was deferred because of Putin's engagements in the capital Brasilia.

Putin congratulated Modi on his great victory in the recent General Election.

Modi, who has met Putin in 2001 in Moscow, said Russia is a time-tested relationship and appreciates that it has been so since early Independence.

Speaking in Hindi, he remarked, "Even a child in India if asked to say who is India's best friend will reply it is Russia, because Russia has been with India in times of crisis." He said India is committed to taking the relationship forward and the focus is to broaden the strategic partnership in nuclear, defence and energy sectors besides stepping up people-to-people contacts.

The Prime Minister said there was need to look at a liberal visa regime, especially students going for studies. President Putin acknowledged that there was a case for looking at it, MEA spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said.

Modi suggested that President Putin should travel outside Delhi when he comes for the annual summit dialogue in December and visit a nuclear construction site, an apparent reference to the Kudankulam II project.

Putin responded saying "it is a good idea".

Modi fondly recalled his visit to Russia's Astrakan region in his early days as Chief Minister of Gujarat which has ties with that region. Talking about that visit, he said he felt as if he was in India.

Putin said Russia places its relations with India high enough in the strategic framework. Nuclear power project has been a symbol of India-Russia relations.

Modi appreciated Putin's speech at the BRICS summit saying it was clear on issues like reforms of the UN Security Council and international financial organisations. — PTI

FORTALEZA (BRAZIL)/ NEW DELHI: Terming the agreement towards setting up BRICS New Development Bank a significant step, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said an open international trading regime is critical for global economic growth.

In his statement on the agenda "Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth" at the sixth BRICS summit, he said the global economic environment remains uncertain and recovery was still fragile despite improved prospects.

Modi said in an environment of political conflict and persisting weakness in major economies, countries have to be watchful for signs of a new bout of financial turmoil.

"Developments in Iraq and the wider region could affect this. I am also concerned that tight monetary policies in some countries could undercut investment and growth in ours," he said, adding an open, rule-based, international trading regime is critical for global economic growth and must address the aspirations of the developing world.

"It must also accommodate the special needs of the most vulnerable sections of our societies, especially in areas such as food security. This is our broad expectation from the negotiations in the Doha Round of WTO," he said.

"I am happy, the initiative announced at the BRICS summit in New Delhi in 2012, has become a reality," said Modi, who is taking part in his first international conference as Prime Minister, on the agreement for setting up the BRICS bank.

The agreement on the BRICS Contingent Reserve arrangement was another major achievement, he said, noting these initiatives "rooted in our own experience as developing countries" show "our capacity to set up global institutions". 

Referring to the summit's theme, he said it was also the guiding principle of his government "given our vast social, regional and economic diversity". 

He said his government will invest heavily in infrastructure, affordable housing, healthcare, education and clean energy, while emphasising sustainability has been a core element of the Indian way of life.

Modi said that BRICS was in a position where it wields enough horizontal influence to compel the world to take notice but there was need to deepen the bonds vertically.

Calling for decentralisation, Modi said they must go "beyond summit and leader-centric deliberations and champion sub-national level exchanges".

"We must encourage engagement between our states, cities and other local bodies," he said, calling for BRICS to be driven by "people-to-people" contact and the youth should lead this. 

"Popularising our languages through dedicated BRICS language schools in all BRICS countries could be a beginning in this direction," he said, even suggesting they explore the idea of a BRICS University as well as cooperation in areas like health, education, agriculture, resource management and urban development and a young scientists' forum.

Other initiatives he suggested were an affordable BRICS healthcare platform, mechanism to further cooperation between small and medium enterprises and a common framework for promoting tourism. — IANS

JAMMU: Eight persons were killed after their vehicle plunged into the Chenab river in Kishtwar district of Jammu region on Wednesday, the police said.

"A taxi went out of the driver's control and fell into the river at Dachan," a police officer told IANS. "Eight passengers were killed in the accident." 

He added two persons were injured and three are still missing.

The bodies have been recovered and the injured have been shifted to a hospital.

"Efforts are on to trace the three missing passengers," the officer added. — IANS

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday accused the government of a “massive cover-up” on the issue of journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik meeting terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan.

However, the government rejected the charge, saying it has nothing to do with it.

Attacking the government, senior Congress leader Kamal Nath said, “It is very clear that the government is involved” in the meeting between journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik and Saeed.

“The Indian High Commission knew about his visit. Our intelligence agencies must have been keeping track of the activities of Vaidik. It was definitely known ... now it is massive-cover up by the government since they have been caught on a wrong foot,” Nath told reporters outside Parliament.

Rejecting the charge, Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh said all the representatives of the government have already made it very clear that Vaidik was not a representative or messenger of the government.

”... the government has nothing to do with this entire episode,” he said.

The issue had stalled Parliament on Tuesday

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had told the Rajya Sabha that the government has nothing to do with either the visit or the meeting between Vaidik and Saeed. “It is a diplomatic misadventure of a private individual,” he had said.

In the Lok Sabha, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said that the government has nothing to do with a journalist meeting Saeed.

“Allegation that the government facilitated the journalist’s meeting with Saeed is false and baseless,” Swaraj had said. — PTI

NEW DELHI: Proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were disrupted on Wednesday as the Opposition pressed for a debate on the Gaza situation but the government steadfastly refused saying it could impact upon India’s diplomatic ties with Israel and Palestine.

The government and Opposition locked horns over the issue of discussion and cited rules and precedents in the House, while arguing for and against on whether the business once listed can be altered.

The Opposition pointed out that the issue had been listed as part of business for the day and should be taken up first.

Members kept citing rules to argue in favour and against the debate for almost two hours during which the House was adjourned a number of times. It was finally adjourned for the day at 3 pm.

Earlier, resisting a debate, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she had come to know late about the listing of the issue in the day’s business and had written to Chairman Hamid Ansari requesting that it should be dropped.

She said, “We have diplomatic ties with both nations. Any discourteous reference to any friendly country can impact our relations with them.”

Swaraj, along with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu, said the House should take up the debate on Railway Budget till the Chairman’s ruling on her letter came.

Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien also said that the House should take up other business till the Chairman’s ruling comes.

The entire Opposition refused to budge and insisted that they will not let any other item to be taken up till the issue is resolved.

“We cannot take up the Railway Budget unless the first item is disposed of,” said Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was to speak on the Rail Budget.

“In the larger interest of the country, I urge the House to take up the Railway Budget,” Naidu said amid uproar by opposition. — PTI