Hindi English Translation || Editorial || A robust friendship: On Modi-Putin summit meeting

A robust friendship: On Modi-Putin summit meeting

India and Russia have to navigate a complex geopolitical (भूराजनीतिक) landscape (परिदृश्य, भूदृश्य) while deepening (गहरा करना, मजबूत करना) ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin has concluded a short summit (सम्मेलन, बैठक) meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, highlighting (मुख्य आकर्षण, रेखांकित करना, ज़ोर देना) the “all-weather” partnership between the two countries despite trying global circumstances (परिस्थितियाँ, अवस्था, हालत). Not only does the President’s visit come as the world faces the grim (विकट, परेशान करने वाला, चिंताजनक) prospect (संभावना, आशा, दृष्टिकोण) of the Omicron variant (प्रकार, असंगति) of the COVID-19 pandemic (वैश्विक महामारी), but it also follows years of growing (बढ़नेवाला, प्रगतिशील) proximity (निकटता, उपस्थिति) between New Delhi and Washington, a potential (possible, likely, probable) irritant to Moscow. Simultaneously, the China factor has been steadily pulling the India-Russia bilateral (द्विपक्षीय, दुतरफा) tango ((figuratively) two people involved in a bad/tough situation are equally responsible for it; (literally) Tango is a dance which requires two partners moving in relation to each other, sometimes in tandem (alongside each other), sometimes in opposition) in all the wrong directions. While Russia relies on (पर विश्वास रखना, पर निर्भर होना) cordial ties (संबंधों, बंधन) with China to stabilise (reinforce, fortify, strengthen, secure, make stronger) its interests in an unstable Afghanistan post the U.S.’s exit, New Delhi and Beijing have scarcely (only just, hardly, barely) seen eye-to-eye on border tensions (strained relations; strain, stress, pressure, unease) and geo-political rivalry (competition, opposition, conflict, discord, friction, enmity) across the Asia region. Notwithstanding (although, in spite of the fact that, despite the fact that, even though) these reasons for possible strategic (relating to achieving long-term or overall (military)goals) dissonance (incongruity, disagreement, disparity, discrepancy, contradiction), India and Russia reaffirmed the strength of their abiding (enduring, lasting, persisting, constant, steadfast) deep (impassioned, wholehearted, deep-seated, deep-rooted, thoroughgoing, serious, sincere, honest), multi-decade (a period of ten years) ties, building further confidence in each other through substantive defence agreements. Moscow has agreed on a 10-year military-technical plan that includes technology transfer to India. And trade received a fillip (stimulus, boost, incentive) through an agreement for India to produce more than 600,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles (assault weapon; It is originally built for military special operations as a fully automatic/semiautomatic weapon/firearm. (semi-automatic gun/rifle is a firearm (like AR-15, AK-47) which fires one round for each trigger pull, whereas “automatic rifle” is a firearm (such as MG-34, M16) which fires more than one cartridge with a single pull of the trigger. These firearms are often referred to as “assault weapons or rifles, based on their rapid-fire capability)). For India’s part, despite resistance from Washington through its Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA is a specifically enacted legislation that aims to prevent revenue from flowing to Russia. This legislation provides for economic and travel sanctions against countries and officials that transacted significant military and intelligence contracts with Russia, North Korea and Iran), New Delhi will proceed with purchasing the S-400 missile defence system from Moscow.

The challenges facing Mr. Modi and Mr. Putin in terms of maintaining this momentum (driving power, strength, impetus) in bilateral exchanges (conversation, dialogue, talk, discussion, meeting) are multidimensional (involving several dimensions (aspects/features)). First, and most imminently, the pandemic has periodically (at regular intervals) crippled (ruin, damage, destroy) the growth of both economies and the threats to public health remain despite considerable (substantial, appreciable, significant) progress with vaccinations (treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization). Second, Russia-U.S. ties are showing signs of fraying yet again, this time over U.S. President Joe Biden’s intention (aim, purpose, objective), reportedly, to warn Mr. Putin that Russia will face “economy-jarring (clashing; colliding; conflicting; causing a shock/damage) sanctions (action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc)” if it seeks to occupy (capture, seize, take possession of, conquer, invade, overrun, take over, take control of) Ukraine, a fear that has grown in the U.S. as Russian troops massed (accumulate, assemble, amass, gather, gather together) near the Ukraine border. India has so far held firm to its mantra of ‘strategic autonomy (the ability of a state (country) to pursue its national interests and adopt its preferred foreign policy without being constrained in any manner by other states (countries). In its pure form, strategic autonomy presupposes the state (country) in question possessing overwhelmingly superior power. This is what would enable that state (country) to resist the pressures that may be exerted by other states (countries) to compel it to change its policy or moderate its interests)’ in a multipolar world, but South Block will have to work hard to manage the tightrope act between Moscow and Washington. Third, India and China have forged (form, create, establish, set up) an uneasy truce (temporary cessation/suspension (of hostilities) ; ceasefire, armistice) across their Himalayan border in the aftermath (consequences, after-effects, repercussions; end result, outcome) of the Galwan valley exchange in 2020, yet there are numerous potential flashpoints that could send ties into a spiral (rise or fall of something; upward spiral - growth, rise, enlargement, expansion (or) downward spiral- deterioration, decline, degradation) again, including China’s historically provocative actions in the South China Sea and its thinly veiled (covert, hidden, concealed, disguised, camouflaged; ill-defined, indistinct, vague, obscure, unclear) insecurity about India joining the Quad for Indo-Pacific security. Moscow has adroitly (cleverly, skillfully, smartly) managed to remain friends with both its mega-neighbours (a country that is next to another country; (bordering) country), but it will require a robust focus on confidence-boosting cooperative initiatives if India and Russia are to safely navigate the complex geopolitical landscape that they occupy.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.summit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सम्मेलन, बैठक
English Meaning - meeting, talk (between heads of government).

2.geopolitical (adjective)
 
Hindi Meaning - भूराजनीतिक
English Meaning - relating to (the study of) the geographical factors (a country’s position on the earth, size, climate, and natural resources &, etc.) in world politics and inter-state relations.

3.landscape (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिदृश्य, भूदृश्य
English Meaning - a particular field of activity.

4.deepen (verb)

Hindi Meaning - गहरा करना, मजबूत करना
English Meaning - grow, increase, strengthen.

5.ties (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संबंधों, बंधन
English Meaning - association, relationship, bond, connection.

6.highlight (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मुख्य आकर्षण, रेखांकित करना, ज़ोर देना
English Meaning - underline, underscore, emphasize.

7.circumstances (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिस्थितियाँ, अवस्था, हालत
English Meaning - situation, condition, state of affairs.

8.grim (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विकट, परेशान करने वाला, चिंताजनक
English Meaning - distressing, upsetting, worrying, unpleasant, dismal/awful.

9.prospect (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संभावना, आशा, दृष्टिकोण
English Meaning - view, outlook, picture, perspective.

10.variant (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रकार, असंगति
English Meaning - different or form or version or mutant of something (virus).

11.pandemic (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वैश्विक महामारी
English Meaning - the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area.

12.growing (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बढ़नेवाला, प्रगतिशील
English Meaning - increasing.

13.proximity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निकटता, उपस्थिति
English Meaning - nearness, presence, closeness (in relationship).

14.bilateral (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - द्विपक्षीय, दुतरफा
English Meaning - involving two groups or countries.

15.rely on (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - पर विश्वास रखना, पर निर्भर होना
English Meaning - depend on; resort to, have recourse to.

16.navigate (verb)

English Meaning - to find the right way to handle a difficult/complex situation.

17.robust (adjective)

English Meaning - strong, powerful.

18.all-weather (adjective)

English Meaning - suitable for all conditions/circumstances.

19.Omicron variant (noun)

English Meaning - On 26 November 2021, WHO designated the (new coronavirus) variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE). The first known confirmed Omicron infection was from a specimen collected on November 9. In recent weeks, infections in South Africa have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection.

20.potential (adjective)

English Meaning - possible, likely, probable.

21.irritant (noun)

English Meaning - annoyance, irritation, bother.

22.tango (noun)

English Meaning - (figuratively) two people involved in a bad/tough situation are equally responsible for it; (literally) Tango is a dance which requires two partners moving in relation to each other, sometimes in tandem (alongside each other), sometimes in opposition.

23.cordial (adjective)

English Meaning - friendly, warm, affable, amiable, pleasant, affectionate, warm-hearted, good-natured.

24.stabilise (verb)

English Meaning - reinforce, fortify, strengthen, secure, make stronger.

25.interest (noun)

English Meaning - concern, matter; benefit/advantage.

26.scarcely (adverb)

English Meaning - only just, hardly, barely.

27.see eye to eye (phrase)

English Meaning - agree, concur, be in agreement, be of the same mind, be of the same opinion.

28.tension (noun)

English Meaning - strained relations; strain, stress, pressure, unease.

29.rivalry (noun)

English Meaning - competition, opposition, conflict, discord, friction, enmity.

30.notwithstanding (conjunction)

English Meaning - although, in spite of the fact that, despite the fact that, even though.

31.strategic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to achieving long-term or overall (military)goals.

32.dissonance (noun)

English Meaning - incongruity, disagreement, disparity, discrepancy, contradiction.

33.reaffirm (verb)

English Meaning - assert, state, assure again strongly.

34.abiding (adjective)

English Meaning - enduring, lasting, persisting, constant, steadfast.

35.deep (adjective)

English Meaning - impassioned, wholehearted, deep-seated, deep-rooted, thoroughgoing, serious, sincere, honest.

36.decade (noun)

English Meaning - a period of ten years.

37.substantive (adjective)

English Meaning - important, significant, considerable.

38.fillip (noun)

English Meaning - stimulus, boost, incentive.

39.kalashnikov (noun)

English Meaning - also called AK-47; a type of assault rifle that is made in Russia.

40.assault rifle (noun)

English Meaning - assault weapon; It is originally built for military special operations as a fully automatic/semiautomatic weapon/firearm. (semi-automatic gun/rifle is a firearm (like AR-15, AK-47) which fires one round for each trigger pull, whereas “automatic rifle” is a firearm (such as MG-34, M16) which fires more than one cartridge with a single pull of the trigger. These firearms are often referred to as “assault weapons or rifles, based on their rapid-fire capability).

41.for_one’s_part (phrase)

English Meaning - as far as one is concerned.

42.resistance (noun)

English Meaning - opposition, aversion, strong dislike, defiance.

43.Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) (noun)

English Meaning - CAATSA is a specifically enacted legislation that aims to prevent revenue from flowing to Russia. This legislation provides for economic and travel sanctions against countries and officials that transacted significant military and intelligence contracts with Russia, North Korea and Iran.

44.S-400 Triumf missile defence system (noun)

English Meaning - Developed by Russia, the S-400 (Triumph/Triumf) air defence system integrates a multifunction radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and command and control centre. It is capable of firing three types of missiles to create a layered defence. The S-400 is capable of destroying incoming hostile aircraft, missiles and even drones within a range of up to 400 km. It has a tracking capability of nearly 600 km.

45.in terms of (phrase)

English Meaning - with regard to, regarding/concerning, in connection with.

46.momentum (noun)

English Meaning - driving power, strength, impetus.

47.exchange (noun)

English Meaning - conversation, dialogue, talk, discussion, meeting.

48.multidimensional (adjective)

English Meaning - involving several dimensions (aspects/features).

49.imminently (adverb)

English Meaning - very soon.

50.periodically (adverb)

English Meaning - at regular intervals.

51.cripple (verb)

English Meaning - ruin, damage, destroy.

52.public health (noun)

English Meaning - the branch of medicine handling public health; public health is also the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities through education, policy making and research for disease and injury prevention.

53.considerable (adjective)

English Meaning - substantial, appreciable, significant.

54.vaccination (noun)

English Meaning - treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization.

55.fray (noun)

English Meaning - conflict, fight, clash, skirmish, tussle.

56.intention (noun)

English Meaning - aim, purpose, objective.

57.reportedly (adverb)

English Meaning - supposedly, seemingly, apparently, professedly, ostensibly, purportedly.

58.jarring (adjective)

English Meaning - clashing; colliding; conflicting; causing a shock/damage.

59.sanctions (noun)

English Meaning - action taken, or an order given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc.

60.seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

61.occupy (verb)

English Meaning - capture, seize, take possession of, conquer, invade, overrun, take over, take control of.

62.mass (verb)

English Meaning - accumulate, assemble, amass, gather, gather together.
 

63.so far (phrase)

English Meaning - until now, up to the present, up to this point.

64.hold firm (phrase)

English Meaning - continue to support something despite opposition.

65.strategic autonomy (noun)

English Meaning - the ability of a state (country) to pursue its national interests and adopt its preferred foreign policy without being constrained in any manner by other states (countries). In its pure form, strategic autonomy presupposes the state (country) in question possessing overwhelmingly superior power. This is what would enable that state (country) to resist the pressures that may be exerted by other states (countries) to compel it to change its policy or moderate its interests.

66.multipolar (adjective)

English Meaning - having many extremities.

67.South & North Block (noun)

English Meaning - South Block is a metonym of the Prime Minister’s Office. North Block is a metonym of the Ministry of Finance, India. (The Secretariat Building (consists North & South Block) or Central Secretariat is where the Cabinet Secretariat is housed, which administers the Government of India. The South Block houses the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of External Affairs). The North Block primarily houses the Ministry of Finance and the Home Ministry). (Metonym is used as an alternative for something else with which it is closely related/associated).

68.walk/balance on a tightrope (phrase)

English Meaning - to deal with a difficult situation in which a very small error could have very bad outcomes.

69.forge (verb)

English Meaning - form, create, establish, set up.

70.truce (noun)

English Meaning - temporary cessation/suspension (of hostilities) ; ceasefire, armistice.

71.in the aftermath of (phrase)

English Meaning - in the wake of, s a consequence of, as a result of.

72.aftermath (noun)

English Meaning - consequences, after-effects, repercussions; end result, outcome.

73.valley (noun)

English Meaning - a low area between hills or mountains typically with a river running through it.

74.flashpoint (noun)

English Meaning - a situation where sudden problems could happen. (In international relations, a flashpoint is an area or dispute that has a strong possibility of developing into a war).

75.spiral (noun)

English Meaning - rise or fall of something; upward spiral - growth, rise, enlargement, expansion (or) downward spiral- deterioration, decline, degradation.

76.provocative (adjective)

English Meaning - annoying, irritating, agitational, provoking, inflammatory.

77.veiled (adjective)

English Meaning - covert, hidden, concealed, disguised, camouflaged; ill-defined, indistinct, vague, obscure, unclear.

78.insecurity (noun)

English Meaning - timidity, lack of confidence, lack of self-confidence, self-doubt, unassertiveness.

79.Quad/Quadrilateral (noun)

English Meaning - The ‘Quadrilateral’ is described as four democracies (the United States, Japan, Australia and India) with a shared objective to ensure and support a “free, open and prosperous” Indo-Pacific region.

80.The Indo-Pacific (region) (noun)

English Meaning - the Indo-Pacific region refers to the confluence (convergence) of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, which interconnect in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and more).

81.adroitly (adverb)

English Meaning - cleverly, skillfully, smartly.

82.neighbour (noun)

English Meaning - a country that is next to another country; (bordering) country.