Latest news with #PrimakovReadings
Mint
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Shashi Tharoor shreds Pakistan in fluent French—Watch the Congress MP's viral speech in Moscow
Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor, is famously celebrated as a wordsmith, rhetorician, linguist, and logophile. However, did you know that this seasoned politician is also a polyglot, equally capable of impressing you with his fluent French? Tharoor's command of the language extends far beyond a mere 'Au revoir,' 'Bon appétit,' 'S'il vous plaît,' or 'C'est la vie.' In a striking display of his linguistic and diplomatic prowess, Shashi Tharoor openly criticised Russia in Moscow for its plans to include Pakistan in a counter-terrorism panel. In Moscow, Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Russian Liberal Democratic Party, announced Russia's plans to host a conference early next year involving the parliamentary leaders of six countries: Turkey, Iran, Russia, India, Pakistan, and China. He emphasised the necessity for concrete action, rather than mere discussion, on the issue of terrorism. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor shared his speech on his Instagram account, captioning it, 'My conversation (in French) with Russian Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) Chair Leonid Slutsky, on Tuesday in Moscow, addressing the problem of Pakistan providing a safe haven for the terrorist groups.' Upon hearing Russian Slutsky's proposal, Shashi Tharoor said in fluent French, 'Il y a un pays qui, malheureusement, offre un refuge sûr à ces groupes terroristes.' (There is a country that unfortunately provides a safe haven for these terrorist groups) Tharoor further remarked, 'Ils ont leur quartier général, ils forment des terroristes dans leur pays, les financent, les arment, et les envoient dans d'autres nations.' (They [Pakistan] have their headquarters, train terrorists in their country, fund them, arm them, and send them to other nations.) "Il est difficile pour nous d'ignorer le fait qu'ils bénéficient d'un patronage au Pakistan." (It is difficult for us [India] to ignore the fact that they enjoy patronage in Pakistan) Tharoor concluded. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of an event in Moscow. "Good to catch up with old friend Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the #PrimakovReadings in Moscow," Tharoor, who is currently visiting Russia, said in a post on X. Tharoor, who is the head of Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, also met former Russian Ambassador to the UN Andrey Denisov, who is now the First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs of the Russian Federation Council. "Enjoyed catching up with old friend Andrey Denisov, former Russian Ambassador to the @UN and to China , and now the First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs of the Russian Federation Council," Tharoor said in another post. The annual 'Primakov Readings' is a meeting of experts of international relations and world economy from 40 countries including India.
India Today
26-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Shashi Tharoor meets Russian Foreign Minister in Moscow during Primakov Readings
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of an event in Moscow."Good to catch up with old friend Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the #PrimakovReadings in Moscow," Tharoor, who is currently visiting Russia, said in a post on X. Tharoor, who is the head of Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, also met former Russian Ambassador to the UN Andrey Denisov, who is now the First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs of the Russian Federation catching up with old friend Andrey Denisov, former Russian Ambassador to the @UN and to China , and now the First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs of the Russian Federation Council," Tharoor said in another annual 'Primakov Readings' is a meeting of experts of international relations and world economy from 40 countries including recently led a multi-party delegation to the United States and four other countries to convey India's stand following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent military operation.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Shashi Tharoor#Russia
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Tharoor visits Russia, meets foreign minister Sergey Lavrov
New Delhi Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, currently at the centre of a row within the party, is on a private visit to Russia to promote a documentary series based on his book 'Inglorious Empire' and has had meetings with key members of the Russian leadership such as foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor during a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on the sidelines of the Primakov Readings, in Moscow. (PTI) Tharoor is in Russia at the invitation of Russia's state-run television network RT, which produced the 10-part series based on his 2017 book, which itself was based on a speech he made at the 2015 Oxford Union debate on the theme 'Does Britain owe reparations to its former colonies?'. He arrived in Russia on June 21 and participated in the St Petersburg Economic Forum before travelling to Moscow, where he met Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the committee on international affairs of the State Duma or lower house of Parliament, on June 23. On the same day, Tharoor also met the Indian diaspora at the Indian embassy. Tharoor met foreign minister Lavrov on the margins of the Primakov Readings, an annual international meeting focused on international relations and the world economy, on June 24. On Wednesday, Tharoor met Konstantin Kosachev, chair of the foreign affairs committee of the upper house of Parliament, and members of the Malayalee diaspora in Russia. While much of the focus has been on the documentary series, set to be aired by RT sometime in the third quarter of the year, Tharoor has briefed the senior Russian officials he met on India's fight against terrorism against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor and discussed issues such as the Iran-Isreal conflict, the situation in Gaza and India-Russia relations, people familiar with the matter said. Tharoor recently played a similar role when he led one of seven all-party delegations sent by the government to 33 countries to brief interlocutors about India's new approach to fighting terrorism as exemplified by Operation Sindoor, which was launched on May 7 to target terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack in April. The 10-part series based on Tharoor's book will cover British colonialism, its impact on India, and the way the colonialism unfolded and ended. During Tharoor's meeting with Slutsky on June 23, the two sides discussed 'pressing international issues, including ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the crisis in Ukraine, and the recent escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan', RT said on social media. 'India is a key member of BRICS. It is essential that we begin serious discussions about developing a parliamentary dimension within BRICS in the near future,' Slutsky said. 'Good to renew my acquaintance with my Russian counterpart, Mr Slutsky, who had visited Parliament in New Delhi a few months ago with a Russian delegation. We exchanged views on regional peace, #OperationSindoor and possible avenues of future parliamentary cooperation,' Tharoor said on social media. Tharoor's visit to Russia coincided with a controversy within the Congress party triggered by his praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a recent newspaper article on the lessons from the Indian government's global outreach on Operation Sindoor. The article was reposted on social media by the official handle of the Prime Minister's Office, drawing criticism from Congress circles. In his first response to the controversy, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, without directly referring to Tharoor, said for the party, it is 'country first', but for some individuals, it is 'Modi first'. Soon after, Tharoor appeared to respond to Kharge's comments with a social media post that said: 'Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one…'
The Print
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Kharge's ‘Modi first' swipe at Tharoor. Congress MP responds ‘wings are your, sky belongs to no one'
However, he left no room for doubt that the party's ties with Tharoor have soured to an extent that no efforts are being made to mend it. Kharge, who faced a barrage of questions on Tharoor's future in the Congress at a press conference held by the party to counter the BJP's narrative on the 1975 Emergency, avoided a clear-cut response on whether the Lok Sabha MP will face any disciplinary action. New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Wednesday made known the party leadership's displeasure with Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, saying unlike the Congress's 'country first' motto, 'some say Modi first, country later'. 'The opposition together said they were with the armed forces that were fighting (during Operation Sindoor). We (the Congress) said the country comes above all and we will work together (with the government). We said 'country first, party later'. But some people say 'Modi first, country later'. What can we do about that?' Kharge said. He was responding to a question on Tharoor's The Hindu opinion piece on the success of Operation Sindoor's global outreach achieved through the visits of multi-party delegations. In the piece, published 23 June, Tharoor—who led a nine-member delegation to the US, Panama, Guyana, Brazil and Colombia—lauded the outreach, piloted by the Centre, saying it was 'vital in shaping global perceptions and consolidating international support.' Tharoor also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the piece, stating that the PM's 'energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remains a prime asset for India on the global stage, but deserves greater backing.' The Prime Minister's Office had shared the article on 'X'. At the press conference, Kharge also took a jibe at Tharoor. 'I can't read English well. His (Tharoor's) language is very good and that's why we have made him a Congress Working Committee member,' Kharge said. A four-term MP, Tharoor is a member of the CWC, the party's highest-decision making forum. Asked if the leadership was wary of the pitfalls of acting against Tharoor, Kharge said the Congress had no reason to be bothered about all that. 'There are nearly 34 working committee members, 34 permanent invitees, and nearly 30 special invitees in the CWC. People can write as they wish. We are not bothered about it. We are concerned about the country and its interests. If somebody is concerned about something else, you can ask him about that,' Kharge said. Tharoor, who is attending the Primakov Readings global summit on international relations and world economy in Moscow, made a cryptic post on 'X' soon after Kharge's remarks. He essentially posted an image of a bird with the caption: 'Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one.' (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: New twist in Congress-Tharoor saga—PMO shares Kerala MP's article on Op Sindoor global outreach
Deccan Herald
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Tharoor meets Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Moscow
Good to catch up with old friend Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the #PrimakovReadings in Moscow @RT_India_news @RT_com
