India, Russia to Celebrate 2017 as Year to Mark 70-Years of Friendship, Ties

India and Russia will celebrate 2017 is a special year of completion of 70 years of diplomatic relations with several programs and events scheduled throut the year.

On 13 April 1947, four months before India’s independence, diplomatic relations were established by India with Russia, then USSR. Over the last seven decades, bilateral relations have seen strong and special Strategic Partnership.

Pankaj Saran, Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation, said, “2017 will be a joint celebration of a long and successful journey together, in which India and Russia have stood side by side with each other as true partners and friends. The Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre will be separately announcing details of individual events.”

During the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India in October 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Putin agreed to commemorate this important occasion and adopted a Roadmap for its celebrations, including series of events planned in Russia and in India during 2017.

The events include seminars, discussions, exhibitions, exchanges and many other activities and the Indian embassy in Russia has unveiled a special logo to mark the anniversary. India will also be the Guest Country at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to held in June 2017.

India’s cultural program “Namaste Russia!” will be vrought to different cities of Russia to showcase the glimpses of India’s rich cultural heritage in the form of world famous musicians, artists and classical music and dance, said the embassy. It will host an ‘India Week’ in St. Petersburg in late May to bring the best of Indian culture, dance, yoga and cuisine.

The performances under Namaste Russia will include:

Sitar maestro Ustad Shujaat Hussain Khan;
The Shillong Chamber Choir;
The Sufi dance and music of the Nizami Brothers;
Shubhra Bhardwaj Bollywood Group;
Indian Fusion group ‘Indian Ocean’;