Lavrov argues Moscow and New Delhi have been opposing neo-colonial practices such as illegal unilateral sanctions

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New Delhi: Moscow and New Delhi are consistent opponents of neo-colonial practices such as illegal unilateral sanctions, threats, blackmail and other forms of pressure on sovereign states. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the opening ceremony of the Tolstoy-Gandhi exhibition in New Delhi on Wednesday.

In his opening remarks, Lavrov remarked, “This year we will mark two events of significance to both Russia and India: the 195th birth anniversary of the great Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy, and the 75th anniversary of the tragic death of Mahatma Gandhi. I am delighted to welcome you at the opening ceremony of the exhibition devoted to these two great figures and moral leaders and to the philosophy and world views they shared.”

A similar exhibition has already been held successfully in Moscow. It is a great honour for us to present it to our Indian friends and the guests of the exhibition.

The equality of peoples and the rejection of colonialism and all other forms of oppression were the values that bonded Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi in the early 20th century, although they lived thousands of kilometres away from each other. The famous Russian writer and the young lawyer, who later described himself as his disciple, maintained correspondence for about a year.

Tolstoy’s ideals of justice and love for one’s neighbours inspired Mahatma Gandhi during the early stages of his non-violent struggle against the British colonial yoke, which culminated in the declaration of India’s independence. It is symbolic that you are celebrating 50 years since the first New Delhi World Book Fair, which we are attending today, in the year of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.

It is becoming increasingly important now to study the rich legacy of our countries’ public figures and moral leaders. We appreciate the substantial creative potential of India’s G20 Presidency and its theme on the unity of nations and common future for humanity, which resonates with the philosophy of Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi.

We support our Indian friends’ resolve to promote genuine multilateralism.

We share a firm commitment to creating a fairer and more democratic, polycentric world order. Moscow and New Delhi are consistent opponents of neo-colonial practices such as illegal unilateral sanctions, threats, blackmail and other forms of pressure on sovereign states. We have been consistently advocating respect for the cultural and civilisational diversity of the modern world and the inalienable right of nations to independently choose their development paths.

I would like to express special gratitude to our Indian partners for organising the G20 pavilion on this platform. It offers a clear view of the group members’ achievements in literature and the publishing business. There is no doubt that the strengthening of intercultural dialogue within the G20 framework will objectively help maintain trust and contribute to the joint search for effective solutions to the numerous current challenges. It is a befitting response to those who would like to cancel the culture of disagreeable countries.

I would also like to point out the growth in cultural cooperation between Russia and India. We are happy that the works of Russian writers find such a receptive audience in India, which is evidenced by the huge popularity of the Russian displays at the New Deli fair and other large book fairs. Russian readers reciprocate this feeling and invariably enjoy Indian culture, including books by Indian authors, in Russia.