Important:
India and Russia are celebrating 70 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between them.
Background:
- India-Russia cooperation is based on the solid foundations of
- 1971 Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation between the Republic of India and the USSR,
- 1993 Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the Republic of India and the Russian Federation,
- 2000 Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the Republic of India and the Russian Federation and
- 2010 Joint Statement elevating the Partnership to a Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.
- Cooperation between India and Russia spans across the whole gamut of sectors and rests on the fundamental pillars of political and strategic cooperation, military and security cooperation, cooperation in the spheres of economy, energy, industry, science and technology, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
Delhi Annual Bilateral Summit 2018:
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia.
- Economic Aspect:
- Goal to increase two-way investment to USD 30 billion by the year 2025
- In 2017 bilateral trade increased by more than 20%
- Focus on International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
- Technology Aspect:
- Synergy in outer space missions; Synergy in IRNSS and GLONASS
- Cooperation in Arctic
- Energy Aspect:
- Long-term LNG supply contract between Gazrpom Group and GAIL India Ltd.
- Civil nuclear cooperation between India and Russia is an important component of strategic partnership contributing to India’s energy-security
- Defence Aspect:
- India participated in Army Games 2018, Army 2018 and Moscow Conference on International Security.
- India and Russia commended the successful completion of the first ever Tri-Services Exercise INDRA 2017 and committed to continue their Joint Military Exercises – INDRA Navy, INDRA Army and Avia INDRA – in 2018.
- Conclusion of the contract for the supply of the S-400 Long Range Surface to Air Missile System to India.
Existing Collaborations:
- Pakistan-Russia gas pipeline.
- Fifth Generation fighter jet
- S400 missile system
- Naval coproduction
- Helicopter
- Russia will help India in setting up 25 integrated infrastructure Agro irradiation centre
- Roseneft led consortium buys India’s Essar oil; Biggest foreign investment by Russia
Agreements signed in India-Russia annual summit 2017:
- Agreement on cooperation in International Information Security.
- MoU for expansion of bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
- Shareholder agreement for establishing a Joint Venture to manufacture Ka-226T helicopter in India.
- MoU for developing smart cities in Andhra Pradesh and Haryana and for developing transport logistics systems for such cities.
- MoU between Gazprom and Engineers India Limited (EIL) for the joint study of a gas pipeline to India from Russia and other areas of cooperation.
- Cooperation Agreement between Rosneft Oil Company and ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) in the area of Education and Training.
- MoU for setting up an investment fund of $1 billion by the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).
- MoU for Cooperation between Russian and Indian Railways in increasing the speed of trains between Nagpur- Hyderabad/ Secundrabad.
- MoU between ROSCOSMOS and ISRO on Mutual Allocation of Ground Measurement Gathering Stations for NAvIC and GLONASS.
- Inter-governmental agreements (IGAs) for the procurement of S-400 Air Defence System and construction of 1135.6 series of frigates.
- MoU between India’s Department of Science and Technology and Russia’s Federal Agency for Scientific Organisations
Defence Relations:
- India’s latest cooperation with Russia was a bit uneven due to delay and steep rise in price of Admiral Gorshkov, and due to problems with Russian spare parts. But now, the Russian military-industrial complex is in a better shape and can work with India effectively.
- Russia has shared sensitive technology for India’s nuclear submarine Arihant and deserve the title for “tested and tried partner”
- Recent S-400 deal further deepens India-Russia defence relation
India-Russia collaboration in S&T:
- Both countries are celebrating 10 years of partnership in S&T.
- Joint cooperation in science and technology was one of the important pillars of the bilateral relationship between both the countries.
- Discussions were held to enhance their cooperation in the fields of big data and cyber physical systems.
- It was also agreed to work for start-up companies and entrepreneurs in order to establish Indo-Russian Bridge for Innovation.