India @77: World leaders underline ‘privileged’ & ‘strategic’ partnership

Russian President Vladimir Putin, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underlined their “special”, “privileged” and “strategic” partnership with New Delhi as they wished India on its 77th Independence Day on Tuesday. In a message of greetings to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Independence Day, President Putin said he is confident that the two nations will continue to boost fruitful bilateral cooperation in all areas through joint efforts, as well as constructive partnership in resolving pressing issues on the regional and global agenda. “We attach great importance to our relations of special and privileged strategic partnership with New Delhi,” he said. Putin emphasised that the achievements that India has made in the economic, scientific, technological and social fields are universally recognised. “India enjoys well-deserved authority on the international stage, playing an important and constructive role in international affairs,” he stressed, and wished happiness and prosperity to all Indians. Congratulating the Indian people on their Independence Day, French President Macron in a post on X, formerly Twitter, said a month ago in Paris, “my friend @narendramodi and I set new Indo-French ambitions all the way to 2047, the centenary year of India’s Independence”. “India can count on France as a trusted friend and partner, always,” he tweeted in both English and Hindi, accompanied by a video of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to France last month. In his greetings to India, Australian Prime Minister Albanese said the “warm friendship” between Australia and India reflects the deep bonds between “our people” and his aim is to bring the two nations even close together in the future. “We will do that through the strength of Australia-Indian communities,” he said in a statement. Albanese said whether as students, ent