India can make a significant contribution to stabilise Afghanistan: Russia

New Delhi: Shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi cited that India can realise its full potential if it remains rooted in its civilisational DNA, Russian President Vladimir Putin too has pointed out that more and more countries are choosing the path of free, sovereign development based on their identity, traditions and values.
Addressing the 10th Moscow Conference on International Security in the Russian capital on Tuesday, Putin stated that the situation in the world is changing dynamically and the contours of multipolar world order are being formed.
He emphasised that Russia is ‘actively and proactively’ working together with ‘its allies, partners and like-minded people’, to improve the existing mechanisms of international security and create new ones.
Accusing the United States ‘and its vassals’ of ‘rudely interfering’ in the internal affairs of sovereign states, Putin said that the collective West is ‘purposefully destroying’ the European security system by forging ever new military alliances.
‘They need conflict to maintain their hegemony. That is why they prepared the fate of cannon fodder for the people of Ukraine, implemented the ‘anti-Russia’ project, turned a blind eye to the spread of neo-Nazi ideology, to the massacres of the inhabitants of Donbass, pumped and continue to pump the Kyiv regime with weapons, including heavy ones,’ said Putin in his address to the participants of the security conference.
Interestingly, less than 24 hours ago, while speaking at the opening ceremony of the International Military-Technical Forum (IMTF) and International Army Games, Putin appreciated that Russia has many allies, partners and like-minded people on different continents.
‘These are states that do not bend before the so-called hegemon. Their leaders show a real masculine character and do not bend. They choose a sovereign, independent path of development, they want to collectively resolve issues of global and regional security on the basis of international law, mutual responsibility and consideration of each other’s interests, thereby contributing to the protection of a multipolar world,’ said the Russian President.
More importantly, Putin mentioned that Russia is ready for comprehensive development of military-technical cooperation with these countries by consistently strengthening their national armed forces and increasing their equipment with modern weapons and military techniques.
‘Russia sincerely cherishes historically strong, friendly, truly trusting ties with the states of Latin America, Asia and Africa. We are ready to offer our allies and partners the most modern types of weapons, from small arms to armoured vehicles and artillery, military aviation and unmanned aerial vehicles,’ he said.
Addressing the heads of defence departments and experts in the field of security from various regions of the world on Tuesday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu commented that the situation in the Central Asian region ‘remains extremely tense’ after the rapid withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan.
He said that the new leadership of Afghanistan is facing serious military and economic difficulties and, as a result, a high level of terrorist threat remains in the region.
Shoigu asserted that the security problems of Central Asia can be solved only by coordinated actions of all interested countries and international organisations. Russia, he said, is making sure that it continues its support to the allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) by increasing the potential of their armed forces.
‘It is important to keep the theme of Afghanistan on the agenda of the discussions of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Russia, China, India, Iran and Pakistan together could make a significant contribution not only to the stabilisation of the region, but also to prevent the threat from spreading beyond its borders,’ he said.