During the India-Russia Business Dialogue held in New Delhi on Thursday, Union minister Piyush Goyal referred to Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov as ‘dashing.’ This light-hearted comment came amidst discussions aimed at strengthening business ties between the two nations. Goyal humorously suggested that Alikhanov could soon make an appearance in Bollywood films, highlighting the friendly rapport between the ministers.
“My friend, colleague and the dashing Honourable Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, His Excellency Mr Anton Alekhanov. I was telling him he is probably in the wrong profession. We should expand our audiovisual cooperation. The five members of the EAEU are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia.
Possibly, we will see him starring in a movie in Bollywood very soon,” Goyal said about Alikhanov at the event held at Bharat Mandapam, as the 18th BRICS Summit gets underway in the national capital. “We (India-Russia) are fast-tracking a new bilateral investment treaty to give investors on both sides the legal certainty that projects and businesses look for when they are finalising investment decisions,” Goyal said. Goyal also said both countries remained committed to the early conclusion of talks for an India- and Russia-led free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Goyal said the pact would open new markets for industries, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). “We continue to strengthen local currency settlement mechanisms, because payment friction, more often than tariffs, is what slows trade down on the ground,” he said.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira also arrived in New Delhi to attend the summit, representing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who remains in Brazil for his election campaign.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday for a three-day visit to attend the summit and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with trade, investment and energy cooperation expected to be among the areas of discussion.
