Talented, driven and great potential: President Putin is all praise for India and Indians

Moscow, Nov 05: Russian President Vladimir Putin was all praise for India and Indians and called its citizens talented and driven. He also added that India has much potential with no doubts that it will achieve outstanding results in terms of development, a Reuters translation of Putin's speech read.

Speaking on the occasion of Russia's Unity Day, President Putin praised India as having much potential. He said that India will achieve outstanding results in terms of development and there is no doubt about that.

Let us look at India, a talented, very driven people with such a drive for internal development. India will certainly achieve outstanding results.

President Putin also spoke about colonialism in African, the potential of India and how Russia has a unique civilisation and culture. Putin said that Western empires had robbed Africa.

To a great extent, the level of prosperity that has been achieved in 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, slave trade - of course," the Russian President said.

He said that Russia was a multinational state and a multi-confessional state which had a unique civilisation and culture. He however added that his country in a significant way is part of European culture and linked to the continent by religion.

He added that Russia formed as a united major world power by becoming a major power as a multinational state and multi confessional one too. And it is here that the uniqueness lies and it is truly a unique civilisation and culture, Putin said.