Tuesday, May 24 2005 21:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Moscow: Observing that peace and prosperity are inseparable from each other in this increasingly globalised world, President A P J Abdul Kalam today (May 24, 2005) said that the time had come for India and Russia to ensure an enduring and long-lasting joint responsibility for peace at large.

In his address at the banquet hosted in his honour by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kalam said, "Our strategic relations serve our long-term national interests. It is our shared objective to strengthen and deepen our cooperation. The twenty first century presents new challenges. Peace and prosperity are inseparable from each other in this increasingly globalised world".

"The India-Russia partnership has contributed to international peace and security. Indeed the time has arrived to ensure an enduring and long-lasting responsibility for peace at large," Kalam said.

The President said the remarkable convergence of "our views and our time-tested friendship leads us" to cooperate in all spheres of national endeavour.

"Our economic prosperity and mutual interest depends upon close partnerships in trade, investment, joint research and development and taking full advantages of opportunities in an increasingly inter-connected and globalised world."

Referring to Indian investment in the Sakhlin oilfield and close Russian cooperation in building of Kadankulam Nuclear Power plant, Kalam said, "We must actively continue to look for means to enhance cooperation in this area, which is of mutual interest and has long-term synergies."

"Our mutual interest in exploiting opportunities in various fields will add strength to our common development goals," the President said while listing Information and Communication Technologies, biotechnology, electronics, banking and financial services as the fields that have been "relatively unchartered territory" in bilateral relations.

Calling for cooperation in India's research efforts, Kalam said, "We believe that cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, space and other frontiers of science can significantly enrich human understanding of nature and lead to the mastering of technologies to improve lives of millions".

Lauding Indo-Russian ties, the President said that relations between the two countries "are characterised by mutual trust and confidence. Our strategic relations are based on political consensus as these are enduring and are linked by civilisations, history, geography and culture."

"Even as we are watching historic transformation in India and Russia, the Governments are acting as instruments of change consistent with the people's aspirations for stability, prosperity, peace and justice," the President said.

Pointing out that diversity, secularism and pluralism were the strengths of both countries, Kalam said, "We value and cherish the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious character of our respective countries, these shared ideals allow us to understand each others' concerns and aspirations and lead us to work in multilateral forums in pursuit of common objectives."

Expressing hope that Indo-Russian cooperation would become a landmark in the history of bilateral relations, the President said "I am confident that we will continue to work together and take our traditional friendship to new heights."