NEW DELHI, March 14. /TASS/. India does not recognize the West’s unilateral sanctions, deeming them illegitimate, Russian Ambassador to New Delhi Denis Alipov said in an interview with TASS.

"Unilateral sanctions are not recognized here, in India, either, as they are regarded as illegitimate. Of course, there is no denying the negative impact of sanctions. Most Indian companies and banks, as well as the economy in general, largely depend on the Bretton Woods financial system that is still controlled by the West and, as they say, hinges on transactions with the US dollar," he said.

Sometimes partners demonstrate the wish "to take a break" in the dialogue with Russian entities or refuse to cooperate at all, the diplomat noted. "However, India’s uniqueness lies in the fact that if one sleepy businessman starts to snooze he’ll lose his place immediately to two others [who are eager to do business]. This is why, overall, we do not face a shortage of those who are not frightened by anti-Russia sanctions," he explained.

Incredible as it may seem, "the shock therapy" in the form of the current geopolitical transformation has made it possible to start unlocking the vast potential for Russian-Indian cooperation, Alipov emphasized.

"We are expecting an even deeper integration of national systems in the financial, banking, scientific and technical areas of cooperation. Time has shown that Western models are used in the interests of a separate group of countries and cannot be regarded as reliable. The time is ripe for Russia and India to internationalize domestic platforms. Interlinking them is the recipe for the success of our relations," the ambassador concluded.