India wants to conduct joint naval drills with Russia in the Baltic Sea, as conveyed by the naval attache of the Indian embassy in Moscow, Manish Chadha, at a meeting with the commander of the Russian navy's Baltic Fleet, Alexander Nosatov, the Russian Western Military District said in a press release on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th November, 2020) India wants to conduct joint naval drills with Russia in the Baltic Sea, as conveyed by the naval attache of the Indian embassy in Moscow, Manish Chadha, at a meeting with the commander of the Russian navy's Baltic Fleet, Alexander Nosatov, the Russian Western Military District said in a press release on Wednesday.
"During a protocol meeting at Baltic Fleet headquarters [in the Russian city of Kaliningrad], the Russian and Indian sides have discussed the bilateral naval cooperation with regard to joint exercises at sea," the press release read, adding that "during the exchange of opinions, the Indian side expressed a wish to carry out joint naval drills in the Baltic Sea and participate in the celebration of the Russian Navy Day [July 25]."
Chadha also introduced the official appointed by New Delhi to oversee the construction of warships for the Indian navy at Russian shipbuilding facilities, according to the press release. At the moment, two frigates are under construction at the Yantar facility.
"The Russian and Indian sides have discussed the bilateral cooperation with regard to the construction of warships for the Indian navy at Russian shipyards, as well as their tests, which are being conducted in the Baltic Sea," the press release stated.
Nosatov, in turn, was cited as commending the level of preparedness that the Indian naval officers demonstrated during the Indra-2019 joint anti-piracy naval drills in the Indian Ocean last December.
Russia and India have held the INDRA joint exercises regularly since 2003. The latest naval part of the drills was held in September in the Bay of Bengal.
