India hopes geopolitical tensions won't affect projects with Russia
India insists on cooperation with Russia and hopes that the latest round of heightened diplomatic tensions does not affect their cooperation and projects.
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The Indian and the Russian flags
India hopes current geopolitical tensions will not affect joint projects with Russia, Invest India CEO Deepak Bagla told Sputnik on Wednesday.
"Time will tell. But one thing I should tell - that strong relationships and rationality business should take it forward. Everybody is on the side of peace," the Indian businessman said.
"For business, this is critical. We all hope to that. I'm sure everyone does," Bagla added when asked whether the current tensions around Ukraine may jeopardize India-Russia projects.
He also reminded that Indian-Russian investment cooperation is several years old, citing multiple cross relationships and investment projects between Moscow and New Delhi.
The Indian statements come amid US and Western calls for condemning, sanctioning and boycotting Russia over its special military operation in Ukraine while several nations have adhered to neutrality.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan slammed foreign missions to Islamabad for attempting to pressure his country to support a UN General Assembly resolution denouncing Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.
On March 1, the heads of 22 foreign missions to Islamabad, including those of EU member nations, issued a joint letter requesting Pakistan to back the resolution, Reuters reported.
The Western sanctions and condemnations come amid a Russian special military operation in Ukraine, which Moscow said was aimed at curbing the growth of Nazism in Ukraine, as well as NATO's attempts to expand eastward and include Kiev in the alliance, which Russia saw as a national security threat.
Russia had for months been warning of the threat posed against it by NATO's attempts to expand eastward, which happened simultaneously with an increase in NATO military activity along Russia's borders, and batches of lethal weapons being sent to Ukraine, prompting Russia to request security guarantees from the West. Washington failed to provide the guarantees.
