Russian president Putin praises Indians, calls them 'talented' and 'driven'

In a speech on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Indians, calling them "talented" and "driven," and he said that India has a lot of potentials and would undoubtedly produce outstanding development outcomes. This is according to a translation of Putin's speech by Reuters.

The Russian president complimented India as having a lot of promise on November 4 to commemorate Russia's Unity Day.

According to Putin's statement, which was translated from his original Russian speech, "India will achieve outstanding results in terms of its development - there are no doubts - and almost one-and-a-half billion people: now that's potential."

"Let's look at India: a talented, very driven people with such a drive for internal development. It (India) will certainly achieve outstanding results. India will achieve outstanding results in terms of its development. There are no doubts. And almost one-and-a-half billion people. Now that's potential," Putin stated.  

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The Russian President discussed colonialism in Africa, India's potential, and the "unique civilisation and culture" of his country. Putin claimed, in a speech on Russian and world history, that Western empires had looted Africa.

"To a great extent, the level of prosperity that has been achieved by former colonial powers is grounded in the robbery of Africa. Everyone knows that. Yes, actually, and researchers in Europe don't hide this. That's how it is. They say it was built on the grief and suffering of the African peoples to a significant extent - I'm not saying entirely, no - but to a significant extent the prosperity of the colonial powers (was built that way). This is an obvious fact. Robbery, the slave trade - of course," Putin added.

Russia, according to Putin, is a "multinational state," a "multi-confessional state," and had a "unique civilisation and culture." He did, however, add that, in a significant way, the nation is a part of European culture and is associated with it through religion, according to Reuters' translation.

He claimed: "Russia is, in a significant way, part of this culture (of the European powers), based on Christianity," but added that "Russia formed as a united major world power... by becoming a major power as a multinational state and a multi-confessional one, too. And it's there where its uniqueness lies. It is truly a unique civilisation and a unique culture."

(With inputs from ANI)