Russia was the first country with which India established a strategic partnership and in the year 2010 during the 11th Summit, India and Russia elevated their relationship to a “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” status.
Vladimir Putin was sworn in as Russian President on 7th May, 2012 in a glittering ceremony in Kremlin, Moscow. Despite heavy protests and demonstrations the swearing in ceremony inside the Kremlin took place peacefully.
India and Russia established deep-rooted friendship and diplomatic relationship between each other sixty-five years ago, on 17th April 1947, marking the beginning of the cooperation and friendship. The civilizational linkages, spiritual and cultural affinities of both the nations forms the basis of deep understanding between each other and mutually beneficial relationship, which has always defined India-Russia cooperation as a time tested and rock solid. As the saying goes that an “old friend is worth two new ones”, India and Russia follow similar feelings. These are the reasons why the phrase “Hindi-Rusi bhai-bhai” (India and Russia are like brothers) is also very popular among the people of both the Nations.
Vladimir Putin for India means someone who was the initiator to formulate strategic partnership with India in the year 2000. Russia was the first country with which India established a strategic partnership and in the year 2010 during the 11th Summit, India and Russia elevated their relationship to a “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” status, indicating a mutual desire to emphasize the exceptional closeness of ties even as India has developed new external relationships with various other countries. From India’s point of view, Mr. Putin in Kremlin is favourable for India-Russia relationship which is a time tested and rock solid relationship. Though for the past twenty years Russia had to experience numerous ups and downs, the painful collapse of the Soviet Union, the insecurity of the Yeltsin era and the negative experience with democracy and the market economy in the 1990s have scarred Russian people a lot and that is why today they wish for the safe and stable life. According to many Russians, Mr. Putin has the capacity to maintain the stability of the Country which he tried to do since 2000. On the other hand, some are of the opinion that this might become stagnant and that is why Russia now needs to find a new balance between stability and reform.
Mr. Putin’s return to Kremlin is unlikely to see any drastic changes in the Indo-Russian relationship. India is of the opinion that continuity in Russia’s approach to foreign Policy issues including relationship with India will be same as before, nothing will really change. Russia indeed needs political and economic reforms and corruption issues as well as red-tapism needs to be addressed seriously. At the same time, over-centralization of power, weakness of the judicial system and suppression of entrepreneurial initiatives are the problems which Russia’s present government has to take into consideration. Though, Western pressure has pushed Russia to formulate closer cooperation with China, despite Russia’s own concerns about the latter, Russia may need to collaborate with China in the issues that unite both of them to oppose the West. But Russia has concerns from China’s vast population’s presence in Russia’s far Eastern Siberian region. Russia’s preference for multipolarity and encouragement for the promotion of groupings like RIC (Russia-India-China), BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa), as well as SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) is intended to create a forum outside the Western block where issues can be discussed without western pressure. However, amidst all these developments there is a hope that India-Russia friendship and the strategic partnership will scale towards new heights, it’ll grow, thrive and blossom in the coming years.
Russian Constitution was amended in the year 2008, to increase Presidential term of office from four to six years, which means Mr. Putin could remain in power until 2024. India does not share similar views with the West on Mr. Putin’s longer term in the office as any violation to democracy. However, India, as a well established democratic country, doesn’t believe in any single norm for democracy that can be applied for all the countries, neither India wants to interfere in Russia’s internal affairs. India does not have any political stakes in ups and downs of the democratic process in Russia which it views as a concern primarily for the Russian people and can be solved by Russian’s only.
India and Russia have similar views on many issues of international development. They are cooperating with each other and sharing experience and knowledge in countering the religious extremism, drugs trafficking and terrorism emanating from the Af-Pak region. On Iran’s nuclear challenge and on Arab issues they share similar views, that these problems can be solved through diplomacy rather than military means.
India-Russia cooperation is going on smoothly and steadily in various sectors. Like cooperation in the defence sector is still going on strong. Even today around 60% of the defence equipment used by the Indian armed forces is of Russian origin. India is cooperating with Russia on major defence projects such as indigenously developed nuclear submarine Arihant, the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft etc. Russia is already constructing two nuclear power plants at Kudankulam in south of India under Indo-Russian Nuclear cooperation program. Negotiations for two additional units on the same site are also going on. In the Space sector too, India-Russia cooperation on Glonass is going on well. Indo-Russian energy cooperation is expected to get a boost in the coming years. India is energy deficient country and Russia is energy surplus and therefore, a mutual interest lies in this sector.
Today, the weakest link in Indo-Russian cooperation remains trade and economic ties. Trade between the two countries is extremely low at around US $ 8 billion. Of course, the proposal to increase this target has been announced by both sides during the last Summit to make it up to US $ 20 billion. However, it is expected that as soon as the International North South Corridor starts operating, this target might be achieved quickly, because the time limit of the consignment passing and reaching the destination will be much less than nowadays and also it will be much cheaper. Now that stringent visa regulations have eased to certain extend, the dynamic private sector companies of both countries will also be able to connect with each other easily to boost-up the economic partnership. India and Russia have also been trying to engage each other through Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Today Russia is a WTO member and it also has formed Customs Union with Belarus and Kazakhstan to a “Common Economic Space”. Therefore, it is expected that CEPA with the broader Eurasian region might come-up soon.
Indo-Russian cooperation can be boosted up even further if people to people contact can be increased and cultural as well as educational linkages can be enhanced. Today, India-Russia relationship has many positive dimensions and therefore, even if the leadership changes in either of the countries the relationship does not get affected and can move on steadily.
Views expressed are of individual Members and Contributors, rather than the Club's, unless explicitly stated otherwise.