Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and President Putin, India and Russia have deepened their defense cooperation through agreements like the 2021-2031 Military Technical Cooperation Agreement, facilitating joint production of weapons such as the S-400 missile systems and AK-203 rifles.

Despite India's growing alignment with the United States to counter China's assertiveness, it has maintained its strategic autonomy by continuing major defense acquisitions from Russia, including the S-400 systems, despite potential U.S. sanctions.

India's rivalry with China has influenced its partnership with Russia, as New Delhi leverages historical ties to balance China's regional dominance while ensuring Moscow does not align too closely with Beijing.

Russia's growing alignment with China has created discomfort for India, prompting New Delhi to sustain its defense and energy ties with Moscow to counterbalance China's influence in Eurasia and the Indo-Pacific.

India and Russia have also collaborated in multilateral platforms like BRICS and the SCO, using these forums to promote a multipolar world order and address shared concerns over China's regional ambitions.

Connectivity projects such as the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Chennai-Vladivostok Corridor have been prioritized to enhance trade and counter China's Belt and Road Initiative.

India's energy cooperation with Russia has expanded significantly, with discounted oil imports and investments in energy infrastructure bolstering India's strategic autonomy amidst Western sanctions on Moscow.

The personal rapport between Modi and Putin, highlighted by frequent engagements and symbolic gestures, has reinforced the bilateral relationship, enabling India to navigate global pressures while maintaining ties with Russia.

This enduring partnership reflects both nations' commitment to strategic autonomy, allowing them to address regional security challenges and balance shifting global power dynamics.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and President Putin, India and Russia have deepened their defense cooperation through agreements like the 2021-2031 Military Technical Cooperation Agreement, facilitating joint production of weapons such as the S-400 missile systems and AK-203 rifles.

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Content: Russia-India coordination, balance, US-India approach?
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Source: Global Times
Author: Wang Shida
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 20th to further develop the "special and privileged strategic partnership" between the two countries.
At the beginning of this month, Russia and India held an annual leaders' summit, launched the first "2 + 2" dialogue between foreign ministers and defense ministers, and agreed to strengthen cooperation and coordination on bilateral and multilateral issues, and signed up to 28 cooperation agreements.
In just two weeks, the summit had two interactions, which sent a signal that Russian-Indian relations were more special than before.
From the interaction on the 6th, Putin led a strong delegation to visit India and held the annual Russian-Indian leaders' summit.
This is Putin's second overseas visit since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, highlighting the importance he attaches to the "special and privileged strategic partnership" between the two countries.
During the visit, Russia and India held their first "2 + 2" meeting, which will help deepen mutual understanding and strengthen the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries.
The most important of the 28 cooperation agreements signed by Russia and India is the Agreement on Military Technical Cooperation 2021-2031.
The document will provide guidance for Russian-Indian military cooperation in the next 10 years, especially to promote joint development and production of weapons and equipment.
It can be said that the foundation for the next stage of military interaction between Russia and India has been laid.
In addition, Russia and India are also actively discussing the signing of a military logistics agreement similar to the memorandum of understanding on logistics exchange between the two countries to facilitate the use of each other's military bases.
Once signed in the future, the Russian-Indian military relations will take another step forward.
The two leaders discussed how to implement the agreement reached at the December 6 meeting, agreed to maintain regular contact on all aspects covered by the Russian-Indian “special and privileged strategic partnership ”, continue to deepen bilateral cooperation and consultation and coordination in multilateral forums, and exchange views on international stability and security issues, including the situation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Since taking office as US president at the beginning of the year, Biden has inherited and strengthened the Indo-Pacific strategy of his predecessor, Trump, and has courted India as the key to its success.
To this end, Biden has made efforts to promote the upgrading and implementation of the four-nation mechanism.
In March this year, the four-nation mechanism held its first video summit, issued a joint declaration, and established three working groups to implement the summit consensus.
In September, the four-nation mechanism held its first offline summit, reiterating the implementation of cooperation in the fields of vaccines and high-quality infrastructure, and proposing to jointly train scientific and technological talents to create a "closed loop of scientific and technological talents of the four countries".
For example, the United States has continued to deepen the "comprehensive global strategic cooperative partnership" between the United States and India.
On March 19, U.S. Defense Secretary William Austin visited India, calling the U.S.-India relationship "a key pillar of a free and open Indo-Pacific."
Under the continued cozying up of the Biden administration, India's attitude of strategic autonomy has become blurred, and it has clearly moved closer to and tilted toward the United States in implementing its foreign policy of "multi-faceted alliance."
During his visit to the United States in September, Modi said that "the relationship between the United States and India has entered a critical transition period".
In the face of the continuous promotion of the "Indo-Pacific Strategy" by the United States and the drift and deviation of India in the two strategic directions of the Indo-Pacific Ocean and the Eurasian continent, Russia is certainly alert.
As early as the Cold War, Russia and India established a relatively special strategic cooperative partnership, even reaching the level of quasi-allies.
At the end of the Cold War, Russia pushed India to join strategic designs such as the "trilateral dialogue between China, Russia and India" in an attempt to promote the establishment of a fair and multipolar world order.
Russia also sees India as an important partner in the Indian Ocean region and an important contributor to the effects of radiation in the Indian Ocean region.
To this end, Russia has taken a series of actions, Foreign Minister Lavrov and other high-level leaders directly expressed opposition to the United States using the "Indo-Pacific strategy" as a tool to contain China and Russia and create regional division.
This round of Russian-Indian strategic coordination is also the proper meaning of Russia's anti-Indo-Pacific strategy.
In particular, Russia and India signed a major defense cooperation order, began the delivery of S-400 air defense system, and will soon sign a military logistics agreement, which is conducive to consolidating defense and military cooperation between the two countries, hedging the penetration and erosion of the traditional Russian arms market by the United States in the past 10 years, and preventing India from falling into the "Indo-Pacific camp" because of increased dependence on weapons and equipment.
Therefore, Russian-Indian interaction is conducive to maintaining the relative balance between the two camps of the Eurasian continent and the Indo-Pacific Ocean, as well as to global strategic stability and peace.
(The writer is deputy director of the South Asia Institute of the Chinese Institute of Modern International Relations)
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In what fields are India and Russia cooperating?

weapons supply
weapons joint production
security & military

Despite India's growing alignment with the United States to counter China's assertiveness, it has maintained its strategic autonomy by continuing major defense acquisitions from Russia, including the S-400 systems, despite potential U.S. sanctions.

Title:

Content: S-400 is a legacy contract, supply of this defence system will continue: Foreign secy Shringla

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday said S-400 is a legacy contract and the supply of the defence system has begun this month and would continue.

ANI | New Delhi | Updated: 06-12-2021 22:58 IST | Created: 06-12-2021 22:58 IST
  • Country:
  • India

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday said S-400 is a legacy contract and the supply of the defence system has begun this month and would continue. During a special Ministry of External Affairs briefing today, the Foreign Secretary said: "There was a sense that S-400, which you all are aware, is a legacy contract, going back to 2018 and was in fact discussed before that. Supply has begun this month and will continue to happen."

Addressing issues relating to other countries including the United States, Shringla noted that India and Russia conduct an independent foreign policy. "With all issues relating to other countries, it is important to note that whether it is us (India) or Russia, we conduct an independent foreign policy and I don't think we need to look at our relationship in the light of any other relationship," the Foreign Secretary said.

Referring to Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), Shringla said that "I don't think this issue came up at all" during the talks with the Russian delegation. Shringla held a special briefing after the annual summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both countries have signed 28 MoUs along with a programme of cooperation in the field of defence for the next 10 years from 2021 to 2031.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today said that the United States undermined the India-Russia deal on S-400 defence system. He added that the US tried to make India "obey its orders" but New Delhi told them it's a decision of a sovereign country to bolster its defence system. "We witnessed at times on part of the United States to undermine this cooperation and to make India obey US orders to follow American vision to how this region should develop, and our Indian friends clearly and firmly explained that they are a sovereign country and they will decide whose weapons to buy and who is going to be a partner of India in this and other areas," Lavrov told ANI.

The S-400 air defence system was contracted for by India in a deal worth around Rs 35,000 crore and five squadrons would be provided to India for tackling air threats from up to 400 km. Washington had indicated that the Russian S-400 systems may trigger CAATSA sanctions. The CAATSA is a United States federal law that imposed sanctions on Iran, North Korea, and Russia. Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act CAATSA authorises the US administration to impose sanctions on countries that purchase major defence hardware from Russia in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections. (ANI)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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In what fields are India and Russia cooperating?

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India's rivalry with China has influenced its partnership with Russia, as New Delhi leverages historical ties to balance China's regional dominance while ensuring Moscow does not align too closely with Beijing.

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Content: Archive | Countries | Persons | Catalog | News | Discussions | Jokes | Contacts | PDA
| Central Asia | Afghanistan | Kazakhstan | Kyrgyzstan | Tajikistan | Turkmenistan | Uzbekistan |
News & Events
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Thursday, 24.03.2022
09: 51 Public administration in Kyrgyz.
"Three ministers will be 'responsible' for ensuring food safety," - the head of the GKNB K.Tashiev
09: 42 Akbar Tursunov: Navruz as a phenomenon of world culture.
Part I
09: 14 "It will be a disaster."
Where will the Central Asian countries take the Internet if Russia is disconnected from the global network?
09: 09 Chief editor "Navalny Live" Baulina killed by missile in Kiev
08: 24 Arabs thank Kadyrov for the spirit of Jihad recreated in Ukraine
08: 19 by brother.
China and India have supported Russia in the Ukraine crisis.
What do they expect to get in return?
8: 16 was a jerk.
Ugly dew-prankers “killed ” the career of the head of the British Ministry of Defense Wallace
Strategic incompetence has always haunted Beijing - Edward Luttwak
08: 01 Russia: Good by, WTO! - V.Katasonov
07: 58 What is the capital city?
And most importantly - why? - A. Bektenova
07: 52 Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright dies of cancer
Storm it: how the accident of the Caspian pipe will affect the energy market of the EU
01: 42 Bread world: what will happen to the global wheat market
Syria wants to be pulled out of the Iranian trench, - I. Subbotin
00: 27 Mohammad Alam Izidyar: "The Taliban could not take the hearts of Afghans"
00: 24 America will have to bite its own tail, - E. Pustovoitova
00: 23 The end of the era of globalization – there is no way back, - V.Kudryavtsev
Wednesday, 23.03.2022
20: 40 Famous Kyrgyz street-field commander Aspekov was imprisoned for 7 years.
Not to be mischievous
20: 34 China without explaining anything removed all its skaters from the world Cup in France
18: 52 Chubais escaped from Russia.
I got it!
18: 45 Bulat Sultanov: "The White House will create a separation barrier between Russia and China in Central Asia"
17: 48 China and Russia today: friendly neutrality.
Ahead of Taiwan
17: 47 US should punish Saudi Arabia for supporting Russia
17: 43 Sky News (USA): Biden continues to disgrace the United States
17: 40 Ukrainian disappointment of Beijing, - Yu.Tavrovsky
15: 37 Putin just announced the transfer of payments for gas from Europe in rubles
14: 40 Mountain Badakhshan.
What are you, knot of Tajik contradictions? - A.Gorokhov
13: 24 To cowards and alarmists, - Erik Khanymamedov
11: 53 What will happen if Russia turns on its counter-sanctions? - V. Tetelmin
11: 41 Poland, with the sanction of Biden, is preparing troops to enter Western Ukraine?
11: 16 Honorary Consul of Estonia in Kyrgyzstan Viktor Kryltsov dies
11: 07 Russians organized tours to Uzbekistan for the sake of issuing Visa and Mastercard cards
11: 03 Teach women only to spoil.
The Taliban *, after a little thought, forbade middle and high school girls to go to school
10: 10 Confused numbers with letters.
Two vice ministers (Tuibaeva and Kurmanbekov) of digital development of Kyrgyzstan dismissed as idlers
10: 05 Kazakhstan weightlifter Nizhat Rakhimov was robbed of the Olympic "gold" -2016.
Allegedly - doping
09: 02 Drug-addicted Taliban, - Y.Makeev
08: 17 On the Leilek section of the Tajik-Kyrgyz border, there is again a fight between border guards.
"Peace" lasted 1 week
08: 10 Died Kazakh actor Yuri Pomerantsev, who became People 's back in 1961!
07: 54 The transition of Saudi Aramco to yuan will be a "real explosion" - Zhang Yugui
04: 16 New social contract in Kazakhstan: what should it be?
04: 10 $500 per barrel: Europe is building an energy scaffold
04: 05 The disappearance of the order that arose after the Cold War leads to the fact that.., - T.Bordachev
03: 14 Nuclear power plants – the path to decarbonization of Kazakhstan
03: 06 Ukraine: who to believe – Biden, Putin or Gogol? - Hamid Dabashi
02: 17 Storm on the Black Sea damaged one of the berths of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium
02: 11 "Square" kulbit.
Is the housing market likely to collapse in Kazakhstan?
Tucker Carlson: We have a right to know what ’ s going on in Ukraine, but our leaders lie to us
00: 08 Union deficit, but not sanctions.
EAEU countries simplify imports, but do not want joint isolation - "K"
Tuesday, 22.03.2022
22: 21 In the Tajik Pamir again turned on the Internet
20: 19 Kazakhstan figure skater Shaydorov was not allowed to the world Cup in France.
Because of anti-Russian sanctions?
20: 08 In the battles in Ukraine as a Hero killed a private of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Egemberdi Dorboev
Archive
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Brotherly.
China and India have supported Russia in the Ukraine crisis.
What do they expect to get in return?
08: 19 24.03.2022
Russia ’ s military operation in Ukraine provoked the expected harsh reaction of the West.
The United States, the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom adopted several packages of sanctions, including against the financial, energy, transport and technological sectors of the Russian economy.
Following the restriction of the work of Visa and MasterCard payment systems, many foreign companies announced a partial or complete cessation of activities in Russia.
However, not all states supported the sanctions campaign.
Moreover, China and India have already started talking about expanding cooperation with Russia.
"Lenta.ru" understood why the "Asian giants" decided to support the northern neighbor and what they hope to get in return.
Friendship without barriers
Russia has been developing friendly relations with China for almost a decade since Chinese President Xi Jinping took over as chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2013.
Back in 2019, he said that “over the past 70 years, China-Russia relations have reached an unprecedented high level, ” and described relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin as deeply personal friendship.
In early February, Putin, at the invitation of Xi Jinping, attended the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The visit was the occasion for full-scale negotiations, as a result of which the parties signed a package of intergovernmental, interdepartmental and commercial documents, as well as agreed to increase the volume of bilateral trade to $250 billion.
Friendship between the two states has no borders, there are no forbidden zones in cooperation, the strengthening of bilateral strategic cooperation is not directed against third countries, is not subject to the influence of a changing international environment and situational changes in third countries.
After Putin announced the start of a special operation in Ukraine on February 24, the Chinese authorities did not condemn the actions of the Kremlin and did not call the operation “invasion ”.
However, Xi Jinping called on Russia and Ukraine to sit down at the negotiating table to de-escalate the situation and said that China stands for respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.
Recently, the situation in eastern Ukraine has changed dramatically and attracts increased attention of the international community.
Xi Jinping
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
Nevertheless, after the introduction of Western sanctions against Russia, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the PRC Zhao Lijian said about the harm of economic restrictions in the settlement of the crisis.
He pointed out that the sanctions imposed created new problems leading to mutual loss and multiple economic losses.
She refrained from condemning Russia ’ s operation in Ukraine when voting in the UN Security Council and India.
The Chinese government continues to be neutral – like China ’ s political leadership, it calls for a cessation of hostilities and a return to diplomatic dialogue, avoiding criticism of Russia ’ s actions.
Special attention to the crisis in Ukraine was drawn by the death of a 22-year-old Indian student in Kharkov.
The incident caused indignation in Indian society, which turned into a demand for the authorities to take immediate measures to organize the evacuation of more than 20,000 Indians who are in Ukraine.
Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin
Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin
Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev / RIA Novosti
Later, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed the issue of the export of Indian citizens from Ukraine.
Putin assured that all instructions were given to the military, and they are doing everything possible to ensure the safe removal of foreigners from the combat zone and their return to their homeland.
The prompt reaction of the Russian authorities and the promise to investigate the death of the student allowed to smooth out the possible consequences and maintain friendly relations with the Indian side.
Not the last role, however, was played by the pragmatic attitude of official Delhi: Western sanctions and their attempts to isolate Russia economically open up new attractive short-term and long-term prospects not only for China, but also for India.
The Asian Giants
Today, China is Russia ’ s key economic partner.
The growth of trade in ten years was about 165 percent.
Trade turnover in 2021 increased by 35.9 percent and amounted to $146 billion compared to 2020.
The plans of Russia and China are to increase it to 200 billion by 2024.
However, there is a significant imbalance in the economic relations between the two countries.
While China accounted for about 18 percent of total trade with Russia, Russia ’ s share of Chinese trade was just over two percent.
Under sanctions and a ban from Western countries on the supply of a number of high-tech goods to Russia (microelectronics, marine and navigation equipment), military and dual-use products, aircraft and spare parts, goods for use in the aviation and space industry, equipment and technologies for oil refining, as well as reducing demand for Russian energy resources, this imbalance will increase.
Photo by Shizuo Kambayashi / AP
According to Vasily Kashin, director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the Higher School of Economics, the restrictions imposed on Russia will make China our country ’ s main trading partner for decades to come, which will inevitably affect coordination in the military and political spheres.
“Everything will be pretty clear here.
The situation, in which we will depend on one China, will require some policy adjustments from us, ” the expert believes.
It is impossible to say that we will be a "junior partner", but we will have to take into account the interests of China to a much greater extent than before, and this will be expressed in some joint actions in the military sphere - most likely, in the region of Northeast Asia.
Vasily Kashin
Director of CKEMI NRU HSE
In such circumstances, the partnership with India, guided by its own aspirations, which on a global and regional scale often do not contradict the interests of Russia, becomes especially significant for Russia.
For both Moscow and New Delhi, bilateral Russian-Indian relations have an independent value.
Today, India is a leading importer of fertilizers, oil and vegetable oil, and the Russian side is one of the main suppliers of these goods.
In addition to hydrocarbons and fertilizers, the Indian side buys from Russia products of the military-industrial complex and nuclear energy.
In turn, India exports to Russia pharmaceutical, agricultural and other goods.
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17 february
However, trade between the states is significantly inferior to Russian-Chinese cooperation.
Last year, it amounted to about $12 billion, which was a record figure in the entire history of trade relations between India and Russia.
Nevertheless, Putin and Modi during the meeting in New Delhi within the framework of the Russian-Indian summit "Russia - India: Partnership for Peace, Progress and Prosperity" assessed the volume of bilateral trade as "not corresponding to the potential of strategic partnership" and stated the need to intensify efforts to increase mutual trade to achieve the target of 30 billion by 2025.
Not canceled this desire and new sanctions, which significantly complicated for India the system of payments with Russia.
Russia ’ s disconnection from SWIFT paralyzed about $500 million for goods already sent to Russia.
As reported by The Hindu newspaper, the Indian government has already ordered the creation of a group to study the impact of Western sanctions against Russia on the Indian economy.
It included representatives of the Ministries of Food and Consumer Affairs, Fertilizer, Trade, Foreign Affairs, Oil and Natural Gas.
According to Alexei Kupriyanov, a senior researcher at IMEMO RAS, Russia previously played the role of a mediator in relations between India and China, at the same time a mediator of such a force that helped to find mutual understanding between states in the event that relations were deadlocked.
Now objective circumstances make possible the scenario of closer rapprochement between Russia and China.
The Indians are extremely concerned that, as a result of Western sanctions, Russia may even closer to China, and are trying to prevent this.
That is why they do not plan to curtail further cooperation with Russia - because it will only push Russia into the Chinese arms
Alexey Kupriyanov
Senior Researcher, IMEMO RAS
Ignoring threats
Despite the attractiveness of the voids that have formed in the Russian economic space, both Beijing and New Delhi have close trade relations with Washington.
Thus, the United States is the third largest trading partner of China after ASEAN and the EU (if you evaluate not by individual countries, but by macro-regions).
755.6
billion dollars was the trade turnover between China and the United States in 2021
More extensive economic ties allow the United States to require India and China to comply with the sanctions regime against Russia, since both countries depend on foreign technologies, on Western intellectual property, on the supply of components and developments of European and American companies.
The White House is already considering the possibility of imposing sanctions against India because of the import of Russian weapons and the position regarding the special operation of Russia in Ukraine.
India is now a really important security partner for the United States, and we appreciate that.
I hope that the leadership of India will decide that it is time to distance itself from Russia
Donald Lou
Assistant Secretary of State
According to Vasily Kashin, director of the HSE CCEMI, the abuse by the American side of its role in world finance can cause a negative reaction from the Indian authorities, who "very strictly protect the independence of their foreign policy."
India does not see itself as a "junior partner" of the United States, who is told who to be friends with and with whom not.
Attempts at harsh and brutal pressure will cause an extremely negative reaction
Vasily Kashin
Director of CKEMI NRU HSE
Jen Psaki
Jen Psaki
Photo by Patrick Semansky / AP
Similar threats are being made against China.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki promised China “significant consequences ” from the United States for violating sanctions against Russia because of the situation in Ukraine.
However, the Chinese government has repeatedly stated that it does not accept unilateral economic pressure and the application of the principle of extraterritoriality.
When considering the issue of Ukraine and relations with Russia, the American side must strictly and accurately take into account the concerns of China and prevent the infringement of the rights and interests of the Chinese side.
Zhao Lijian
official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China
Kashin noted that imposing sanctions on China is an order of magnitude more dangerous than imposing sanctions on Russia.
He explained that the Chinese economy controls many key production chains and is a key market for many American businesses, which will require much more careful sanctions pressure on China.
The British newspaper The Guardian, citing sources, reports that the Chinese authorities have already decided to send economic assistance to Russia against the background of a special operation in Ukraine.
The source stressed that Beijing is serious about cooperation with Moscow, since such an initiative allegedly comes from Xi Jinping, who with Putin “shares the opinion of the United States as a despot. ”
Photo by Bikas Das / AP
It does not want to refuse cooperation with Russia and India.
Thus, countries are considering the possibility of switching to trade settlements in rubles and rupees.
The new mechanism will allow Indian exporters to receive payment for their goods in national currency instead of dollars and euros.
It is planned that the Russian bank for this purpose should open an account in the Indian, and the Indian - in the Russian.
* * *
Attempts to exert economic pressure on countries actually translate the confrontation into a political plane.
The economic well-being of the state becomes the subject of bargaining, which has to be sacrificed as a sign of political loyalty to this or that bloc of countries.
Both China and India consider themselves exclusively independent players in the international space.
The authorities of these countries do not want to obey the political will of the United States, to lose the benefit of cooperation with Russia and consider offensive instructions dictating how and on what conditions to build relations with other states.
Russia will remain a strategic partner for both China and India.
However, in the face of Russia ’ s loss of other alternatives, cooperation will be disproportionate.
The Russian side is more likely to retain its role as a mediator in India-China relations.
India is not interested in the loss of a supplier of goods of the military-industrial complex and in the rapid rapprochement of Russia with China.
China, in turn, is not interested in breaking the Russian-Indian cooperation in order to prevent India from rapprochement with the United States.
21 March 22
Source - lenta.ru
Permanent address of the article - https: / / centrasia.org / newsA.php? st = 1648099140
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What has negatively affected India/ Russia current relationship?

Why is maintaining a relationship with India important for Russia?

Why is maintaining a relationship with Russia important for India?

Russia's growing alignment with China has created discomfort for India, prompting New Delhi to sustain its defense and energy ties with Moscow to counterbalance China's influence in Eurasia and the Indo-Pacific.

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Content: 2 July 2024, Tuesday, 16: 46
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Bloomberg: India will prevent Putin from getting closer to China
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the plan.
Russia ’ s active rapprochement with China worries India, which is countering its growing influence in the region.
Concerned about the expansion of the “limitless partnership ”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week will go to Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin, writes Bloomberg.
It will be his first visit to Russia since the start of Putin ’ s war in Ukraine and his first trip abroad since Modi took office as prime minister for the third time.
While Moscow will try to present the meeting as proof that Russia has not been isolated since Western sanctions were imposed, Modi ’ s trip is more motivated by a desire to reaffirm the status quo in bilateral relations and limit China ’ s influence, experts and experts close to the Indian government say.
India is wary of Moscow ’ s growing dependence on Beijing, says Swasti Rao, a research fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis at the Indian Ministry of Defense:
The deepening of strategic interaction between Russia and China makes New Delhi uncomfortable, as it is like a best friend sleeping with the enemy.
Given our concerns, it makes sense for the prime minister to go there and talk to Putin at the highest level.
Like China, India has taken advantage of the difficult situation that Russia has found itself in because of the sanctions.
It has more than 20 times increased purchases of Russian oil compared to 2021, saving 13 billion thanks to discounts on it, according to the April report of the rating agency ICRA.
It continues to purchase services and components from Russia to service previously purchased weapons, although major deals do not seem to be going any more.
In 2019-2023, according to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, India for the first time since the early 1960s purchased less than half of the weapons from Russia / the USSR: the share of imports was only 36% compared to 76% in 2009-2013.
Russia has lost the Indian arms market, which has dominated for more than half a century
Russia has lost the Indian arms market, which has dominated for more than half a century
The meeting between Modi and Putin is expected to discuss the supply of logistics to India to strengthen cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries and resume discussions on joint development of a fifth-generation fighter, but breakthrough agreements in either this or other areas are likely not, informed Indian officials told Bloomberg.
Also, according to them, cooperation in nuclear energy will be discussed.
Payments in rupees for Russian oil for a long time hung on accounts in Indian banks, all of them accumulated by $8 billion.
Although the countries agreed to continue to pay for oil in UAE dirhams and increase purchases of Indian goods, their annual exports to Russia still do not exceed $5 billion.
Fearing sanctions and difficulties with calculations, Indian business is not eager to increase turnover.
Modi ’ s visit is “maintaining the status quo, ” Alexei Zakharov, an expert on India at HSE, told Bloomberg:“ Relations are not deteriorating, but there is no particular desire to improve them. ”
This is the second time that Putin ’ s turn to the East has caused concern among the leading countries in the region.
Thus, Chinese leaders may believe that Putin ’ s rapprochement with North Korea and the conclusion of a military alliance with it during a recent visit to Pyongyang may reduce the dependence of Russia and North Korea on Beijing and provoke unnecessary tension in the region.
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In what fields are India and Russia cooperating?

In what regions do India and Russia have common strategic interests?

What has negatively affected India/ Russia current relationship?

Why is maintaining a relationship with Russia important for India?

India and Russia have also collaborated in multilateral platforms like BRICS and the SCO, using these forums to promote a multipolar world order and address shared concerns over China's regional ambitions.

Title:

Content: 31 Dec, 2023 08:46

Deeper than diplomacy: There is a reason why New Delhi and Moscow rely on each other

Russia’s respect for India’s policy of strategic autonomy is the core strength of bilateral ties, as the Indian foreign minister’s latest visit proves

Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s five-day official visit to Russia was timely and significant for more than one reason.

India and Russia had held annual summits at the leadership level since 2000. This sent an important message in terms of the value attached by the two countries to bilateral ties, but it also conveyed a broader geopolitical message to other international partners of the two countries.

But this practice was broken largely because of Russia’s pre-occupation with the Ukraine conflict and its fallout. The last annual summit took place in 2021.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin could have held a summit on the margins of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg in South Africa or the G20 summit in New Delhi, but Putin did not attend either. While Jaishankar’s visit does not substitute for a summit meeting, it was intended to fill a political gap.

Jaishankar and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have met six times during the year, and the Indian external affairs minister also met with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov during the year on the economic agenda. For Jaishankar to visit Russia before the end of the year, undeterred by the Russian winter and holiday season, reflects the importance both sides attach to the further expansion of ties.

Putin has on several occasions praised the Indian prime minister and positively noted the country’s economic progress. At the ‘Russia Calling’ Forum in early December this year, he said that despite pressure from others, he “cannot imagine that Modi could be frightened, intimidated or forced to take any actions, steps, decisions that would at variance with the national interest of India and the Indian people.” He noted that sometimes he is surprised at Modi’s tough stance on Indian national interests. He added that the policy pursued by Modi is the “main guarantor” of the developing bilateral ties.

This is high and unusual praise by Putin. It can be interpreted on several levels – particularly as an acknowledgement that India has resisted pressure from the US and others to condemn Russia over the Ukraine conflict, impose sanctions, and reduce defense ties with Russia. India has, on the contrary, bought discounted Russian oil to the point that Russia has become its biggest oil supplier. It has argued that ensuring this market flow of Russian oil has helped avoid a major spike in oil prices and checked global inflation. Indian-Russian trade has expanded, while the G7 has broken economic and trade ties with Russia.

India played a major role as G20 president in negotiating the part in the Leaders’ Declaration on the Ukraine conflict despite the hardening of the G7 position and that of Russia and China after the G20 summit in Bali. The final text does not mention Russia by name, while the G7 was satisfied that the general formulations in it could be sold as being directed at Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.

Not surprisingly, Putin complimented India for de-politicizing the G20. India chaired the SCO summit in July 2023 and participated in the BRICS summit in South Africa in August 2023. This countered G7 attempts to isolate Russia diplomatically. In fact, the New Delhi SCO Declaration spoke of more effective global institutions, a more representative, just, and multipolar world order based on international law and multilateralism, and criticized the unilateral application of economic sanctions – a clear critique of the Western-dominated global system.

It is against this backdrop that Putin received Jaishankar at the Kremlin, the first time that such a gesture has been made to him personally. The general unavailability of Putin to visiting foreign ministers is well-known.

Jaishankar delivered a personal message from Modi to Putin. During the meeting, Putin invited his “friend Modi” to visit Russia in 2024 and noted that Indian-Russian ties were on the whole developing well. He said that he had been briefing Modi on developments in Ukraine, remarking that he understands the Indian prime minister is willing to do his utmost to resolve the matter by peaceful means. He added that he would give additional information to Jaishankar on Ukraine.

India has continued to strengthen ties with the US, including in the defense domain. It is a member of the Quad and a strong supporter of the Indo-Pacific concept, both of which are intended to deter China’s regional ambitions. Russia has reservations about the Quad and the Indo-Pacific concept, which it sees as the US engaging in bloc politics in Asia.

Putin’s praise for Modi and India and the gesture of receiving Jaishankar takes into consideration these realities of India’s foreign policy which are meant to safeguard the larger national interests. At the core of this is Russia’s respect for India’s policy of strategic autonomy. Jaishankar’s high-profile visit and the vigorous language used to mark the importance of India’s traditional ties with Russia would have caught Washington’s attention.

Jaishankar noted that after talks with Lavrov, “what clearly came out was that India-Russia relations remain very steady, remain very strong, they are based on our strategic convergence, on our geopolitical interests, and because they are mutually beneficial.” The two leaders discussed political cooperation within international organizations such as BRICS, the SCO, etc.

Indian-Russian trade is at an all-time high, exceeding $50 billion last year, and should pass that figure this year. It includes energy, fertilizers, coking coal, and other items, for which long term arrangements were discussed. India intends to expand investments in Russia’s oil and gas sector.

On the nuclear side, two important amendments were agreed to which will take the Kudankulam nuclear power project forward. Mutual investments, progress on a bilateral investment treaty, and the resumption of negotiations between India and the Eurasian Economic Union for a free trade agreement will be resumed in the second half of January 2024.

Moscow and New Delhi will expand cooperation in the Russian Far East. India expects a large representation from this region at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in January 2024.

Connectivity between India and Russia will be critical for expanding trade ties – connectivity from western India through the International North-South Transport Corridor, and connectivity from eastern India, from Chennai to Vladivostok, and the polar route. To promote tourism, India is open to increasing the number of flights from India every week.

The talks between Jaishankar and Lavrov were comprehensive. They discussed the global strategic situation, Ukraine, Gaza, the Indo-Pacific, ASEAN, Afghanistan, UN-related matters, the challenges facing the Global South, and the building of a multipolar order. China would undoubtedly have been discussed, but diplomatic discretion here would be normal.

In the joint press conference, Lavrov spoke of prospects for more defense cooperation, including joint production of modern weapons under New Delhi’s ‘Make in India’ program, and, importantly, expressed respect for India’s efforts to diversify its defense ties. He noted bilateral cooperation in rocket engine manufacturing and satellite navigation systems.

Jaishankar’s visit was productive in maintaining the momentum of Indian-Russian ties, which have been built over 60 years, a relationship that he believes is not just about politics, diplomacy, or economics, but is much deeper.

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The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

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In what regions do India and Russia have common strategic interests?

What formal frameworks do India and Russia cooperate within?

What vision of global dynamics do India and Russia share?

polycentric system of international relations

Why is maintaining a relationship with India important for Russia?

Why is maintaining a relationship with Russia important for India?

Connectivity projects such as the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Chennai-Vladivostok Corridor have been prioritized to enhance trade and counter China's Belt and Road Initiative.

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Content:
India and Russia signed a program of cooperation to boost trade and joint investment projects in Russia's Far East Region during Modi-Putin talks on Tuesday. At the same time, they agreed to strengthen connectivity and security linkages in the Eurasian space and Indian and Pacific Oceans.

The 22nd Russia-India Annual Summit will lead to a greater collaboration between the two countries in Russian Far East and the Eurasian space, including the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), according to experts.

The 81-paragraphbilateral Joint Statement underscored the "shared vision" to enhance transport and connectivity cooperation, as well as a "solid commitment" to enhance economic linkages in Russia's resource-rich Far East, Pravesh Kumar Gupta, an Associate Fellow at New Delhi-based think tank Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), told Sputnik India.

The 22nd Annual Summit, a "unique and pivotal event in the current global geopolitical context" according to Gupta, exposed the disappointment of Western countries.

"Amidst global turbulence, the summit served as a crucial platform for leaders to engage in constructive discussions and strategic dialogues, with the aim of bolstering cooperation in vital areas such as trade, energy, connectivity, defence, and technology. This event has been widely acknowledged as a significant milestone in the ongoing development of the close ties between India and Russia, a success that stood in stark contrast to the disappointment felt by the Western world," the Indian think-tanker asserted.

Lauding the Summit outcomes, Gupta remarked that the leaders would intensify effort to develop "promising production and marketing chains in Eurasia" and stick to the new plan for the Far East in providing enhanced cooperation in different sectors, including transport and connectivity.

Specifically both leaders shared a vision pointing to three projects – International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), Chennai-Vladivostok Corridor as well as the Northern Sea Route (NSR), or the Polar Route.

"Most importantly, these connectivity projects are free from any political agenda, unlike the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as clearly mentioned in the joint statement. Their implementation will be based on the principles of transparency, broad participation, local priorities, financial sustainability, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations," the VIF pundit underlined.

Gupta expressed confidence that the proposal to establish a joint working group on developing the NSR would speed up the project, which promised "significant cost savings and reduced shipping times" for goods traveling between Europe and Asia.

"The route's increased accessibility due to melting Arctic ice has sparked increased interest in its potential for commercial shipping and trade, offering a bright future for global trade," Gupta stated.

In the context of the INSTC, the expert underscored that it could turn out to be the most "cost-effective and favourable" connectivity project to increase Indian exports to Eurasia and vice-versa. He explained that the 7,200-kilometre-long multimodal corridor was in line with Moscow's geo-economic focus on Asia-Pacific following the Ukraine conflict.

Russia, India To Implement The Idea of A 'Greater Eurasian Space'

In terms of bolstering cooperation in Asia-Pacific, or near India's own neighbourhood, Modi and Putin shared approaches on building a "new architecture" of a 'Greater Eurasian space'.

Although, initially Russia was focused primarily on the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, the Ukrainian conflict completely changed the situation, Alexey Kupriyanov, an expert in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) at Moscow-based think tank IMEMO RAS told Sputnik India.

At the same time, the think-tanker highlighted that a growing trade turnover between Russia and India was pushing Moscow to return to the Indian Ocean Region, primarily to ensure the protecting of Russian vessels in areas not covered by Indian Navy's operations, which include the Red Sea and the Mediterranean region.

"In the long term, this means that Russian ships will soon operate more intensively in the Indian Ocean and expand their presence," Kupriyanov stressed.

It would bolster India's security efforts and help it manage the power competition between China and the US, even as Indian Navy has intensified inter-operability with western maritime forces in recent years, the expert asserted.

"Since India's focus is primarily on the eastern part of the region, Russian ships in the western part could help fill the vacuum of security there. This will reduce the need for East African countries to seek help from China and the US to combat pirates, smugglers and drug traffickers," Kupriyanov concluded.

(With Inputs From Agencies)

In what fields are India and Russia cooperating?

Why is maintaining a relationship with India important for Russia?

Why is maintaining a relationship with Russia important for India?

India's energy cooperation with Russia has expanded significantly, with discounted oil imports and investments in energy infrastructure bolstering India's strategic autonomy amidst Western sanctions on Moscow.

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Content: India is looking forward to engaging with Russia in energy sector: Hardeep Singh Puri

December 16, 2022 09:59 pm | Updated 09:59 pm IST - Bengaluru :

‘We used to buy very limited quantities of oil from Russia up to March 31, 2022, and now Russia has become a prominent supplier along with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait,” Mr. Puri said

Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday said India is looking forward to engaging with all countries, including Russia, in the energy sector.

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Mr. Puri said prior to March 31, 2022, India was buying oil in very limited quantities but now Russia has become a prominent supplier along with some middle-eastern countries.

“We used to buy very limited quantities of oil from Russia up to March 31, 2022, which was 0.2%, and now Russia has become a prominent supplier along with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait,” Mr. Puri said.

Mr. Puri, when asked for his views on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, said, ”I look forward to more comprehensive and intensified engagements with all countries in the sector of energy, including the Russian Federation.”

He added that India’s cooperation with Russia on energy is very widespread. “If I am not mistaken, the Russian investment in the Indian sector is about $13 billion and our companies have invested $16 billion in Russia,” he added.

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How did India react to the war between Russia and Ukraine?

India did not join the Western sanctions against Russia

India did not directly oppose Russia's actions

How has Russia/ India trade evolved since the start of the war in Ukraine?

India's purchases of Russian oil increased

How has trade level between India and Russia changed under Modi and Putin?

In what fields are India and Russia cooperating?

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The personal rapport between Modi and Putin, highlighted by frequent engagements and symbolic gestures, has reinforced the bilateral relationship, enabling India to navigate global pressures while maintaining ties with Russia.

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Content: World News
Putin, Modi strengthen ties despite tensions over Ukraine
CAIRO (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’ s current visit to Russia was highlighted by the Guardian newspaper, which said Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin were strengthening “ties of friendship ” despite tensions over the war in Ukraine.
The newspaper said in an analytical article published on Tuesday that Modi received a warm reception from Putin upon his arrival in Moscow.
Modi said the visit - his first since Russia's large-scale intervention in Ukraine - was aimed at strengthening "ties of friendship" between the two countries, and later described Russia as "India's all-weather friend and trusted ally".
Relations between India and Russia are deep, dating back to the Cold War, and Russia has long been India ’ s largest arms supplier.
Since his election in 2014, Modi has had a highly publicized relationship with Putin, with the two leaders holding more than 20 meetings.
However, Putin ’ s decision to intervene militarily in Ukraine in February 2022 put unprecedented strain on their relations and forced India onto a difficult path in balancing its relations with both Putin and the West.
India has refused to join Western countries in condemning Putin ’ s war and abstained in all UN votes condemning Russia.
It has also become the biggest buyer of cheap Russian oil and continues to send billions to state coffers, which some see as undermining Western sanctions efforts.
However, India ’ s dissatisfaction with Putin ’ s actions was not entirely hidden, with Modi saying that “now is not the age of war. ”
The Indian prime minister ’ s decision to strengthen ties with Western leaders who are Putin ’ s biggest critics, including U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, was met with a chill in the Kremlin.
Similarly, Putin ’ s increasingly close ties with Beijing are viewed with great suspicion in New Delhi.
But while the geopolitical landscape was markedly different from 2019, when Modi was last in Moscow, the two leaders went to great lengths to show their continued friendship during Modi ’ s visit that concluded this evening.
The Kremlin gladly spoke of Modi ’ s decision to make Russia one of his first international trips after winning a third term in office last month.
But Indian officials were more restrained, and New Delhi confirmed that the visit, Modi's first in five years, was about bilateral relations, adding that India was seeking to "play a supportive role for a peaceful and stable region."
At the official summit on Monday, Modi said he and Putin discussed everything from setting up new Indian embassies in Russia to increasing cooperation on trade.
However, the complexities surrounding India ’ s achievement of a delicate diplomatic balance over Ukraine have also been uncomfortably apparent.
The summit between Putin and Modi was also held on the same day as the start of the NATO summit in Washington, where Biden and other leaders are expected to announce a historic defense package for Ukraine.
At a dinner on Monday evening, Modi reportedly made his most direct appeal to Putin to end the war in Ukraine, telling the Russian president that “there is no solution on the battlefield. ”
However, few analysts believe Modi ’ s words will have any impact.
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