Good afternoon, H.E. Mr. Lavrov, ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome H.E. Mr. Sergey V Lavrov to the Vivekananda International Foundation. Excellency, we are deeply honoured by your presence here. We appreciate that you have taken time out from a very busy and tightly packed schedule in New Delhi to address us.

We are also honoured by the presence of Sh Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor, Dr. S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary, Amb. Kudashev, Amb. Kanwal Sibal, Amb. Satinder Lambah, Amb. Pankaj Saran, Amb. PS Raghvan, Convener of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), distinguished members of the diplomatic corps, members of the strategic community and friends from the media.

H. E. Lavrov does not requires elaborate introduction to this gathering. He has been the Minister of the Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation since 2004. Prior to that, he was permanent representative of the Russian Federation of the UN for ten years. His vast experience in international diplomacy stands him apart as a Statesman of great eminence. It is a matter of great pride for us that a luminary of his eminence, who has left an imprint on so many important initiatives all over the world, has chosen to be with us at the Vivekananda International Foundation this afternoon.
Excellency, the VIF is named after eminent Indian personality, Swami Vivekananda, a nineteenth century spiritual leader and philosopher who believed in the oneness of mankind, and who, through his teachings, strove to promote global peace and understanding. He traveled extensively, including to the USA, England and Europe and represented India at the Parliament of World Religions held at Chicago in 1893. He introduced to the Western world the concept of Vedanta and Yoga and one-ness of universe – which is so very relevant even today.

VIF is an independent, non-partisan think tank and strives to bring together the best minds to ideate on key national and international issues; it promote initiatives that further the cause of peace and global harmony. We work with like-minded think tanks drawn from different countries. We have a robust engagement with the Russian International Affairs Council in Moscow.

Excellency, you will be pleased to know that the VIF and the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) recently published a Joint Report – 70th Anniversary of Russia-India Relations: New Horizons of Privileged Partnership – that was released in Moscow in October by Ambassador Pankaj Saran. We also released the report in New Delhi at the VIF last month in the presence of Ambassador Kudeasev.

Our leaders, PM Modi and President Putin, have infused vigour and momentum into India-Russia relations through their regular consultations. Both have ensured expeditious implementation of the strategic and economic dimensions of our relations and created a positive environment for us to work together and further expand our relations. This year we are celebrating 70 years of our diplomatic relations. At this juncture of journey, Indo-Russian relations are poised to diversify and achieve even greater heights.

I now request the Honorable Minister to address us. He will speak on “Global Affairs and new Vistas of Russian-Indian Cooperation.”

Thank you.