Modi-Putin summit: India, Russia emphasize steadiness & growth of partnership

New Delhi, Dec 6: India and Russia on Monday emphasized the steadiness and strength of their bilateral strategic partnership as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held the annual bilateral summit talks here, preceded by the inaugural 2+2 dialogue between their defence and foreign ministers.
The bilateral summit also saw the inking of 28 agreements, including in the field of defence and energy cooperation. One of the key agreements was on the manufacture of over 600,000 7.62mm AK-203 assault rifles that will be produced in India, and another on extending the military technology cooperation for the next decade.
President Putin, who arrived on a brief working visit late in the afternoon, headed straight to Hyderabad House for the summit with PM Modi. The summit talks lasted three and a half hours. The Russian president left straight for the airport after the talks.
PM Modi, in his opening remarks, said that India-Russia strategic ties have grown stronger despite the challenges posed by Covid, and thanked President Putin for his personal investment in strengthening the bilateral partnership.
“Despite the challenges posed by Covid there has been no change in the pace of growth in India-Russia relations. Our special and privileged strategic partnership has continued to grow stronger,” he added.
“Many kinds of geopolitical changes have taken place, but in the midst of all the variables India-Russia friendship has remained a constant. Both nations have engaged with each other without hindrance, and have also kept each other’s sensitivities especially in mind. This is truly a unique and trusted model of inter-state friendship,” PM Modi said.
He said the two sides have targeted USD 30 billion trade and USD 50 billion investment till 2025. “We need to guide our business communities in order to reach the target,” he added.
He congratulated Russia on getting observer status in NAM and becoming dialogue partner in the IORA, adding, “in both the platforms it was our pleasure to back Russia’s candidature.”
President Putin, in his remarks, said Russia views India as a great power, a friendly nation and a time-tested friend.
On Afghanistan, he said: “Naturally, we are concerned about everything that has to do with terrorism. I mean, the fight against terrorism, also the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime. And with that regard, we are naturally concerned about the developments of the situation in Afghanistan.”
Defence cooperation, trade and energy, comprised a major chunk of the talks between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin, with emphasis placed on joint development and joint production in the defence sector.
“Responding to India’s quest for self-sufficiency, the partnership is reorienting presently to joint research and development, co-development and joint production of advanced defence technology and systems,” said the joint statement.
The two sides held their inaugural 2+2 dialogue, participated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, with their Russian counterparts, Sergey Shoigu and Sergey Lavrov.
While Jaishankar and Lavrov held a bilateral in the morning, Rajnath Singh and Shoigu co-chaired the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation. Later, the four ministers held the 2+2 dialogue.
Rajnath Singh, in his remarks, said he had an “opportunity to discuss in detail with General Shoigu the emerging challenges that India is confronted with and the enhanced requirement for India for closer military-and -military technical cooperation with Russia.”
In remarks targeting China and its military build-up in eastern Ladakh, he said: “The pandemic and the extraordinary materialization and expansion of armament in our neighbourhood and the unprovoked aggression on our northern border since early summer of 2020 have thrown in several challenges. India is confident of overcoming these challenges with its strong political will and the inherent capability of its people.”
EAM Jaishankar, in his remarks, said “As close friends and strategic partners India and Russia have been working together to safeguard our common interests and to ensure peace, progress and prosperity for our peoples.”
He said that India-Russia ties “have been close and time- tested in a world that has changed so much, they have been exceptionally steady.”
The joint statement issued after the talks had substantial reference to Afghanistan and terrorism. Both leaders welcomed the close coordination between their two sides on Afghanistan, including through the creation of a permanent consultative mechanism on the issue between the Security Councils of both countries.
They highly appreciated the finalisation of the Roadmap of interaction between India and Russia on Afghanistan, which symbolized convergence of views and interests of the two Sides, referring to the meeting in September between NSA Ajit Doval and Russian Security chief Nikolai Patrushev in New Delhi.
The meeting between the two NSAs on Afghanistan had followed a phone conversation between PM Modi and President Putin following the Taliban takeover of Kabul, during which the two leaders decided to coordinate closely on Afghanistan.
The Russian Side also welcomed Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan of National Security Advisors/Secretaries of Security Council on 10 November 2021 in New Delhi and welcomed the Delhi Declaration on Afghanistan that emerged from that meeting, referring to the talks held between the security chiefs of India, Russia, Iran, and the five Central Asian countries in New Delhi.
The two sides also reaffirmed their firm commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including its financing, the dismantling of terrorist infrastructure and countering radicalization, to ensure that Afghanistan would never become a safe haven for global terrorism.