MOSCOW IN TALKS TO MANUFACTURE RUSSIAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT IN INDIA: LAVROV
NEW DELHI: With a focus on preparations for the annual India-Russia summit, external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday held wideranging talks during which New Delhi shared its viewpoint on the Indo-Pacific.
Addressing a joint press event after his talks with Jaishankar, Lavrov dismissed suggestions of any future military alliance between Russia and China.
Moscow and New Delhi are discussing the possibility of “additional” production of Russian military equipment in India, Lavrov said without specifying what kind of equipment could be made in India.
But, officials from both countries have said their goverments have been discussing for some years the possibility of making Russian military helicopters in India.
“We have confirmed our determination towards the development of military-technical cooperation,” Lavrov told the news conference, adding there was an inter-governmental commission dealing with the subject.
“It has its own plans, and the prospects for additional production of Russian military equipment on India’s territory are under discussion,” he said.
NEW DELHI: With a focus on preparations for the annual India-Russia summit, external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday held wideranging talks during which New Delhi shared its viewpoint on the Indo-Pacific.
Addressing a joint press event after his talks with Jaishankar, Lavrov dismissed suggestions of any future military alliance between Russia and China.
“By the way, we have heard speculation about pro-military alliances not only with respect to Russia and China relations, we have also heard about such alliances allegedly being promoted such as Middle East-NATO, AsiaNATO. Today we exchanged views on this and our Indian friends have the same position as we. We believe that this is counter productive,” he said in Russian.
“We are interested in inclusive cooperation that is for something, not against somebody,” Lavrov asserted.
Defence cooperation as well as weapons manufacturing was also discussed during the talks, he said. At the joint presser after the talks, Jaishankar said the discussions were warm, comprehensive and productive.
“We talked about long-standing partnership in nuclear, space and defence sectors,” Jaishankar said. He said the discussions also covered the rapidly expanding energy cooperation as well as views were exchanged on regional and global matters.
Pointing out that he shared, with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, India’s approach on Afghanistan, Jaishankar said that for India, what happens in Afghanistan, impacts its security directly.
“I shared our approach that a durable peace there (Afghanistan) would require harmonising interests of all, both within and around that country,” he said.
Jaishankar said a political solution should mean an independent, sovereign, united and democratic Afghanistan.