Published 20:40 IST, December 23rd 2020
MEA snubs claims surrounding India-Russia Summit, calls them 'particularly irresponsible'
MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava stated that the decision to postpone the India-Russia Summit was 'mutually agreed' upon by both countries.
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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday slammed 'false and misleading' imputations surrounding the India-Russia Summit 2020, clarifying that the Summit did not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While issuing an official statement, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava stated that the decision to postpone the India-Russia Summit was 'mutually agreed' upon by both countries. The official also called out stories speculating any other reason for the delay 'particularly irresponsible'.
"The India-Russia Annual Summit did not take place in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic. This was a mutually agreed decision between the two Governments. Any imputation otherwise is false and misleading. Spreading false stories on important relationships is particularly irresponsible," said MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava.
The MEA's official statement on the Summit comes amid reports by selective media houses who have thrown speculations surrounding the delay in the Summit. A particular media house earlier today claimed that the delay was due to Moscow's 'reservations' with India joining hands with QUAD to secure the Indo-Pacific region. Thereafter, the report was picked up by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who went on the fearmonger over the claims saying that 'damaging relationships' with Russia could prove to be 'dangerous' for India's future.
Russia is a very important friend of India.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 23, 2020
Damaging our traditional relationships is short-sighted and dangerous for our future. pic.twitter.com/U5VyFWeS6L
Russia clears claims surrounding Summit
Meanwhile, amid conjecture surrounding the India-Russia Annual Summit, Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was earlier scheduled to visit India in late 2020, may visit the country during the first six months of the next year.
"It became more difficult to maintain contacts due to the pandemic. It has affected the frequency of face-to-face meetings, but the Russian-Indian political and economic dialogue has not become less intense. Summits are the highest point of the dialogue. The summit was due to be held in October. There have been large-scale preparations, but it has been decided by mutual agreement to postpone the meeting until the next year. When will the meeting take place? The sooner the better. I hope we will receive the Russian president in India in the first half of the coming year," Sputnik quoted Kudashev as saying.
Additionally, Moscow has also said that New Delhi should not be worried about its relationship with Pakistan, another talking point of the imputations, noting that Russia's ties with Islamabad are "independent" in nature. Russian mission Roman Babushkin has even said that his government is 'mindful of respecting the sensitivities of other countries.'
20:40 IST, December 23rd 2020