India, Russia share special partnership: Krishna

Moscow: India and Russia share a "special and privileged" partnership which has stood the test of time based on deep mutual trust and convergence of views, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said on Friday.

Krishna, who inaugurated the Open India Festival on modern Indian cinema and culture in Moscow to mark the 65th anniversary of the India-Russia diplomatic relations, said "Ours is a symbiotic relationship which has produced concrete and dramatic results in the widest possible fields of cooperation."

He said the two nations share a "special and privileged" partnership which has stood the test of time.

"Both our countries today have a broad vision for our future, bolstered by deep mutual trust and convergence of views on many bilateral, regional and international issues. India and Russia share a "special and privileged" partnership which has stood the test of time. In the past six and a half decades, our relations have gained enormously in strength and content, he said.

However, Krishna said the close bonds are not limited to the political or the strategic level. "This tradition permeates down to the cultural and people-to-people contacts which have been nurtured and continuously reinforced over these 65 years," he said, adding that cultural cooperation has played a pivotal role in bringing our peoples closer.

Krishna said Indian Cinema and film personalities have immense appeal across the globe. "In Russia, as we all know, Raj Kapoor was a house-hold name once and continues to be as popular as ever," he said.

I am hopeful that this film Festival shall not only provide a glimpse of quality entertainment to the audiences here, but also pave the way for further cooperation between the film industries of our two countries.

Sufi musician Nizami brothers performed at the inaugural ceremony.

Earlier at the Closing session of the Conference on the 65th Anniversary of India-Russia Diplomatic Relations, Krishna said India and Russia share a "special and privileged" Strategic Partnership that has provided sustained and visible benefits to both our countries.