PM Modi Austria Visit
India, geopolitical strategist, Velina Tchakarova argues “has positioned itself as a real bridge builder between the two worlds. So practically, what India is doing right now is taking the best from both worlds. It is deepening the relationship with Russia against the possible aggressive behavior of China. When it comes to the West, once again, India, proves the readiness and the willingness…but also, is having fortunately a very adequate leadership that understands these dynamics”. Ms Tchakarova, the founder of consultancy company ‘FACE-For A Conscious Experience’ speaks to StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P. Revi on ‘The Gist’.
Austrian Banks & India-Russia Payments
She analyses Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Austria. The last Prime Ministerial visit was of PM Indira Gandhi in 1983.
India-Russia trade volume will further grow in the next two years, Velina points out, “The two leaders(Putin and Modi) have announced a $100 billion target. A lot in this portfolio will be based on energy supply. I think India would be exploring how other countries that are currently in a similar situation, are facilitating financial transactions.”
“Now, we know for a fact,” she says, “because it became public knowledge that Austrian banks like Raiffeisen, which are still active in Russia, paid more than $400 million in taxes last year.” That means, of course, that it was part of the facilitation of the payments for the gas supply from Russia. And here I think there will be some talks, obviously behind the curtains, closed-door talks, on how to explore different financial mechanisms. And by the way, we saw in the press release from the meeting between President Putin and Prime Minister Modi, that they are already looking at and exploring different options on how to facilitate these payments.”
Velina Tchakarova also discusses:
- “Different layers” behind the PM Modi Austria Visit after Russia.
- India and Austria as “bridge-builders”.
- Austria’s 90% dependency on Russian gas supplies.
- PM Modi’s “this is not an era of war, no solution on the battleground and being pained by innocents being killed” statements.
- How President Putin is “convinced he’s on the winning side in the war against Ukraine.
- The NATO Summit and more promises of F-16 fighter jets.
- and the Russia-China partnership and how India is navigating that geopolitical reality.
