‘Close friends’ Putin, Modi to boost defence, trade ties
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised his “close friend” Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday as the pair said they would work to boost military, trade and energy ties.
The leaders met on the first day of Russia’s economic forum in the Pacific coast city of Vladivostok, an annual event since 2015 as Moscow looks to bolster relations with Asia amid tensions with the West.
The two sides signed 15 pacts, including one on cooperation in the production of spare parts for Russian military equipment. The other pacts covered a wide range of sectors, including energy and roads. The two countries also decided to extend military and technical cooperation between them by 10 years.
Calling Modi “my dear friend”, Putin described him as a “great friend of Russia” and said that India is one of the key partners of his country with which it has special and privileged strategic partnership.
“I’m very grateful to my close friend Vladimir Putin for this opportunity,” Modi said at a press conference following talks and a tour of a naval shipyard.
“We have reached a new stage in collaboration,” he said, adding that the pair discussed “unprecedented” mutual investment in oil and gas industries.
“Special atention was paid to trade and economic cooperation in the talks,” he said, though details of major trade deals were not immediately announced.
A joint statement called for cooperation in military and technological spheres, with the possibility of creating joint ventures in India to develop and manufacture civilian aircrat.
It also called for a reorganisation of the UN Security Council to reflect the “global realities” of a multipolar world.
During his talks with Putin, Modi himself brought up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in the context of recent decision to abolish the state’s special status.
The prime minister “explained the rationale” behind his government’s decision, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said while briefing media persons on the talks.
Modi thanked Putin for giving a “clear message” on the issue, days ater Russia rejected Pakistan’s request for intervention. Russia has maintained that Jammu and Kashmir was a bilateral mater between India and Pakistan and there was no need for its intervention.
Earlier, while making a statement to the media along with Putin, Modi said both of them were against any “outside intervention” in the maters related to any country, sending out a message to Pakistan which has been desperately trying to rope in other countries on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir ever since the special status of the state was abolished last month.
The Indian Prime Minister described Russia as a symbol of faith. Putin did not touch the Indo-pakistan ties in his comments.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was also to visit Vladivostok, along with Mongolian President Khaltmaa Batulga and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
But Putin was spending most of his time on Wednesday with Modi, who in an interview ahead of the meeting spoke of the “special chemistry” he shared with the Russian leader.
“With each meeting with President Putin, we get closer and our relationship grows,” he told the newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
Modi pointed out that mutual ties also extend to nature, as every year “Siberian cranes migrate to my home state Gujarat”. The Indian leader said he wanted to discuss tiger conservation with Putin, a lover of big cats.
Ater shaking hands warmly on Modi’s arrival, the two men boarded a Russian navy patrol ship and headed to the Zvezda shipyard about 40 kilometres across a bay from Vladivostok.
India is a key client for Russia’s arms industry and trade between the two countries amounted to approximately $11 billion in 2018.
Russia and India in 2015 signed a $1 billion agreement to jointly make Kamov Ka-226 military helicopters, part of the “Make in India” initiative to encourage foreign companies to manufacture their products there. But the deal has been pushed back repeatedly.
India last year purchased the Russian S-400 advanced air defence systems for over $5 billion, with deliveries to be made by 2023, defying US warnings of sanctions on countries buying Russian arms.
Premier briefs Russian leader on Kashmir issue, says ‘false’ information are being peddled; We’re against any outside interference in country’s matters, asserts Modi