"Honour reflects friendly ties between India, Russia": Defence expert on Russia conferring highest civilian award on PM Modi

New Delhi [India], July 10 : After Prime Minister Narendra Modi was bestowed with Russia's highest civilian honour during his Moscow trip, Dhruv Katoch, a defence expert said that this act by Russian President Vladimir Putin holds much significance and reflects the friendly relations between India and Russia.
"Order of St Andrew the Apostle is not given to everybody. There are very select heads of state who get it. I think the act by the Russian President to bestow this honour on PM Narendra Modi is very significant," Katoch told ANI.
The expert further said that the honour reflects the friendly relations between India and Russia, "I think it's very significant and I am very happy that he has got it. PM Modi is one person who has got strings of awards from all over the world and it's a great honour."

PM Modi on Tuesday received the Order of St Andrew the Apostle, Russia's most prestigious civilian honour from President Vladimir Putin for his outstanding efforts to promote partnership and friendship between India and Russia. Upon receiving the honour, PM Modi thanked Putin and Russia saying that it was a 'samman' for 140 crore Indians and a reflection of the centuries-old friendship between the two countries.
Expressing his views on PM Modi's statement that the death of innocent children causes pain, and solution to any conflict cannot be found on the battlefield, Katoch said, "I think that's a well-known stand that PM Modi has taken consistently, by saying that war is not the option."
He added, "When he (PM Modi) said that innocent lives are lost, it's not just the reflection of innocent lives on one side only. It is a reflection of all sides of the war, which means Russia and Ukraine. Obviously, war is not a solution."
The defence expert further said that he thinks there is a need for pullback, not just from Putin's side, but also from the side of NATO. "You cannot allow the war to go on the way it has. I think it's important to understand that if you are looking for peace, then one of the countries which have good relations with all parties concerned, is India. We are friendly with Russia and we are also friendly with Ukraine and its partners US and NATO. India has got friendship on both sides and simply because we are friends with one, doesn't mean we will go against the others."
Asserting that India will maintain a de-hyphenated position on this particular war, he said, "We don't want this war, we want the war to end and we want peace."
Speaking on the Russian President's remarks that PM Modi dedicated his "whole life" to strengthening India, Katoch said that the actions that have been taken by the Modi-led government for the last two decades have improved the lives of people. "There has been a significant improvement in the lives of the people. If you look at the poorest of the poor, you can see what their life was 10 years ago and what their life is now. I am not saying that everybody has become rich but there has been a significant improvement. People are much better today than they were 10 years ago, and which is why, he got the third term," Katoch said.
He further said that very few leaders across the world can win a third term. "You have seen what is happening in Europe, what is happening in Italy, France, Germany. Getting a third term is very difficult and it only comes after performance. So, this was a very clear reference by the Russian President. India is growing at a very fast rate, India is the fifth largest economy, and very shortly, it will become the third largest economy. And maintaining good relations with India, which is friends to all, I think this is a very good signal for world peace," Katoch added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his two-day visit to Russia and emplaned for Austria on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister interacted with the Indian diaspora at a hotel in Moscow before departing for Austria.
The Prime Minister stressed that the ties between India and Russia are giving new energy to global prosperity. He also praised the Indian community for giving new heights to the ties between India and Russia.