Palak Gupta

Russia has been a time-tested friend of India. The two countries had signed ‘Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership’ during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin in October 2000 which was elevated to the level of a ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ in December 2010. India is the only country with which Russia maintains relations at this level.

The bilateral gamut of Indo-Russia ties covers an enormous scope of defence, energy security, civil, nuclear and space cooperation. The two countries also engage on several multilateral platforms including G20, BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which India became a part of on 9 June 2017.

Russia, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, has repeatedly supported India’s bid for permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and has also been a steady supporter of India’s candidature and membership for the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Russia is the chair of SCO for 2019-20 and it is also the chair of BRICS for 2020. Moscow last chaired the BRICS in 2015.

On April 28, at the initiative of Russia, a special BRICS Foreign Ministers’ videoconference took place under the chairmanship of Sergey Lavrov on the impact of Covid-19 on international relations.

On 23 December 2019, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov during the Government Hour at the Federation Council in Moscow said, ‘Our privileged strategic partnership with India is advancing. Our ties with the overwhelming majority of other Asia-Pacific partners are deepening,’ adding, ‘there is also the RIC format of Russia, India and China, which remains effective and which had given rise to BRICS some time ago.’

During the Soviet era, Soviets were the main suppliers of arms to India and economically supported the country until its dissolution. After the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991, Russia inherited these close ties and still continues to be the top arms importer for India. Currently, New Delhi is acquiring and procuring a wide range of weapons and military equipment from Moscow.

Defence cooperation is guided by the Programme for Military Technical Cooperation signed between the two countries. It is valid till end-2020. A slew of bilateral projects is underway which include indigenous production of T-90 tanks and Su-30-MKI aircraft, supply of MiG-29-K aircraft and Kamov-31 and Mi-17 helicopters, upgrade of MiG-29 aircraft and supply of Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher Smerch. India will soon sign a contract with Russia to procure Ka-226T, and it is all set to receive the S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile defence system from Moscow.

The two sides are committed to upgrade their defence cooperation, including by fostering joint development and production of military equipment, components and spare parts, improve the after-sales service system and continue holding regular joint exercises of the armed forces of the two countries.

Keeping in line with the Indian government’s flagship ‘Make in India’ initiative, the two countries encourage joint manufacturing of spare parts, components, aggregates and other products for