Rajnath Singh Calls on Russian President Putin During his Moscow Visit

Calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on December 10, on the margins of the 21st session of India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC), defence minister Rajnath Singh said, “Friendship between our countries is higher than the highest mountain and deeper than the deepest ocean.”

After conveying warm greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to President Putin, Singh discussed various issues of bilateral defence cooperation with Putin. Both leaders expressed that partnership between both countries holds immense potential and combined efforts will pave way for remarkable outcomes.

Earlier in the day, Singh co-chaired the 21st session of IRIGC-M&MTC with his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov. During the meeting, Singh emphasised upon the strength of the India-Russia bilateral relationship, which has lived up to the responsibilities of a special and privileged strategic partnership. He added that the ties have further strengthened with the recent exchanges including two visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia in 2024.

Singh voiced the government of India’s determination to extend the capabilities of its domestic defence industry across domains and industrial collaboration. He stressed on new opportunities for enhancing participation of Russian industries in the ‘Make in India’ projects. He reiterated India’s commitment towards special and privileged strategic partnership with Russia.

Belousov agreed that Russia and India have a strong, time-honoured friendship, based on mutual respect, where the trusting relations of the leaders of the two states play a key role in strengthening bilateral ties.

“The results of the meetings of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi in July in Moscow and in October at the BRICS summit in Kazan served to deepen the particularly privileged strategic partnership, to include in the defence sphere. We are committed to implement all the agreements reached at the highest level,” he stressed.

To this, Singh added, “Despite geopolitical challenges and great pressure on India both in public and in private, India has made a conscious decision that the country will not only continue close contacts with Russia but will also deepen and expand our interaction… Our relations are in full swing.”

Singh invited Belousov to visit India to co-chair the 22nd session of IRIGC-M&MTC in 2025, which the Russian defence minister accepted. At the end of the meeting, the two ministers signed the protocol of the 21st IRIGC-M&MTC highlighting the ongoing and prospective areas of cooperation.

INS Tushil Commissioned: A day before the meeting, Singh had visited the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, where the latest multi role stealth guided missile frigate INS Tushil was commissioned into Indian Navy in his presence. INS Tushil (F 70) is an upgraded Krivak III class frigates of the Project 1135.6 of which, six are already in service—three Talwar class ships, built at Baltiysky shipyard, St. Petersburg, and three follow-on Teg class ships, built at Yantar shipyard, Kaliningrad. INS Tushil, the seventh in the series, is the first of the two upgraded additional follow-on ships, the contract for which was signed in October 2016 between JSC Rosoboronexport, Indian Navy and the government of India.

Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Singh said that the moment was a proud testament to India’s growing maritime strength and a significant milestone in the long-standing friendship between India and Russia, which are bound together by shared values, mutual trust, and special & strategic privileged partnership.

He termed Russia’s support to India’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ as another important example of deep friendship between the two countries. “Made in India content is continuously increasing in many ships including INS Tushil. The ship is a big proof of the collaborative prowess of Russian and Indian industries. It exemplifies India’s journey towards technological excellence through jointmanship,” he added.

Reasserting the Indian Navy’s commitment to peace and security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), he said, “Our navy has foiled the designs of piracy, arms and drug smugglers and non-state actors in various hotspots. From the Gulf of Oman to the Gulf of Aden, from Suez to Malacca and from Australia to Madagascar, the Indian Navy is playing the essential role of a net security provider in IOR. India, along with its friendly countries, believes in ensuring that maritime trade in the region remains safe and secure, thereby promoting unhindered trade across the sea.” Singh added that, as a first responder, the Indian Navy is always prepared to provide quick and timely humanitarian assistance & disaster relief to its friends in the region.

Exuding confidence that with new energy and enthusiasm, India and Russia will realise the full potential of their cooperation, the defence minister emphasised that the two countries will not only strengthen the existing areas of collaboration, but also give priority to working in new and unexplored areas. “India and Russia will enter a new era of cooperation by taking advantage of each other’s expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, space exploration and counter terrorism,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, chief of the naval staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi congratulated all those involved in the project, especially the shipyard workers and all Russian and Indian original equipment manufacturers for their exceptional work, flawless integration of Indian systems with Russian systems and contribution to the quality capability upgrades achieved in this project.

The event was also attended by Russian Deputy minister of defence Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin, governor of Kaliningrad Alexey Sergeyevich Besprozvannykh, commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Aleksandr Alekseyevich Moiseyev, Ambassador of India to Russia Vinay Kumar, and other senior officials from the Indian and Russian governments, navies, and industries.