Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Russia for an official visit, met on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th September, 2019) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Russia for an official visit, met on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok.The Soviet Union and India established diplomatic relations on April 13, 1947. The contractual-legal basis for this partnership was updated after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, with both countries signing over 250 bilateral documents since then. The 1993 Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of India is the foundation document for bilateral relations.
In October 2000, Putin made a state visit to India, during which the Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Republic of India was signed.
Highly intensive political contacts are the main feature of Russian-Indian ties. The countries discuss key areas of bilateral cooperation, as well as topical international and regional issues during annual summits and top-level talks, which Russia and India take turns hosting.
Putin made a two-day official visit to India October 4, 2018, for the 19th Russian-Indian summit, during which he met with Modi to discuss further development of their strategic partnership and exchange views on pressing international and regional issues. The summit ended with a number of bilateral documents being signed.
The two leaders also took part in the Russian-Indian business Forum, visited the Sirius Educational Centre for gifted children and met with its students. At the end of his trip, Putin met with Indian President Ram Nath Kovind.
The nations' leaders also meet regularly on the sidelines of multilateral forums.
In 2018, Putin and Modi met in Sochi in May, the South African city of Johannesburg on the sidelines of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit in July, and on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Argentina in November.
On June 13, 2019, the two met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.
Later that month, on June 28, they held a trilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
Both countries are also developing contacts at the level of their foreign ministries, security councils and other specialized ministries, prioritizing expanded bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
The India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation is a key mechanism of bilateral cooperation. The commission's 24th regular meeting was held in Moscow in September 2018.
According to the Russian Federal Customs Service, trade between Russia and India amounted to $10.9 billion in 2018, including $7.7 billion in Russian exports and $3.2 billion in Russian imports.
In the first six months of 2019, bilateral trade amounted to $5 billion Russia exported and imported $3.3 billion and $1.7 worth of goods, respectively.
Russia primarily exports mineral products, machinery, equipment and transport vehicles, precious metals and stones, chemical industry products and other goods.
In turn, India provides Russia with chemical industry products, food and agricultural products, machinery, equipment and transport vehicles, textiles and footwear, and metals and products made of these metals.
Additionally, Russian continues to be an important partner for India in implementing civilian nuclear energy projects.
Under the 1988 intergovernmental agreement and its 1998 supplement, Russia is building the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The station's first reactor starting generating power in 2013 and was finally handed over to the customer in 2016.
The nuclear plant's second reactor started generating power on August 29, 2016. At the end of March 2017, it started operating with a Russian warranty.
In October 2016, Putin and Modi launched the second unit and participated in the inauguration of the Kudankulam plant's third and fourth units, construction for which began in June and October 2017, respectively.
In October 2018, Russian state nuclear company Rosatom and the Atomic Energy Commission of India signed a cooperation document for the construction of six Russian-designed nuclear power plants with modern third-generation VVER reactors at a new, undisclosed site in India. It was previously reported that it might be located in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Russia and India are also implementing oil and gas cooperation projects. Since 2001, India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has been involved in the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project through its ONGC Videsh (OVL) subsidiary, which owns a 20 percent stake in the project. In May 2014, Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft and OVL signed a memorandum of understanding that provided for cooperation on Russia's continental Arctic shelf.
In 2016, Indian companies became shareholders of Rosneft-controlled company Vankorneft, which is developing the Vankor oil and gas condensate field in the Russian Krasnoyarsk Region. Indian state-owned companies own a combined 49.9 percent stake in Vankorneft.
In early October 2012, Gazprom Marketing and Trading Singapore, a subsidiary of Russia's gas giant Gazprom, signed a legally binding 20-year contract for the sale of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to India's GAIL. Under the document, GAIL will receive 2.5 million tonnes of LNG annually, an equivalent of 3.5 billion cubic meters (123.6 cubic feet) of gas, over two decades. The first batches of LNG were delivered to India in March 2018.
In August 2017, Rosneft clinched a strategic $3.9 billion deal to acquire 49.13 percent of shares in Indian Essar Oil Limited. The Russian company received a share in the Vadinar refinery, one of the biggest refineries with an integrated infrastructure in India and the Asia-Pacific region. Essar Oil Limited also includes a large network of gas stations in India operating under the Essar brand.
Five investment projects worth over an estimated 53 billion rubles ($797 million) are being implemented with the participation of Indian capital in Russia's Far East.
Tata Power, one of the largest Indian power generation companies, has a license to develop the Krutogorovskoye field in Russia's Kamchatka Region. Singapore-based company Sudima together with Indian mining firm KGK are preparing to create a wood processing complex in Russia's Far East region of Primorye. KGK has also launched a diamond-cutting facility in Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok. Moreover, India's M Suresh Vladivostok has set up an office in the Free Port of Vladivostok and is preparing to launch a diamond cutting enterprise.
Bilateral science and technological cooperation is making headway. In 1987, the USSR and India signed their first comprehensive long-term program for science and technological cooperation. In 2000, the program was extended until December 2010, after which it was prolonged for another 10 years.
Russia has been India's longtime partner in multifaceted defense cooperation. To date, both countries are implementing several bilateral projects and developing the BrahMos multipurpose missile system and Sukhoi/HAL fifth generation fighter aircraft. India is also mastering serial production of Su-30 Flanker-C fighters and T-90 tanks under a Russian license.
In March 2019, Russia and India opened a plant for producing 200-series Kalashnikov assault rifles in the northeastern Indian town of Korwa.
Today, 80 percent and 70 percent of the Indian navy's and air force's equipment, respectively, is Russian-made. The long-term defense cooperation program for the 2011-2020 period and over 20 intergovernmental agreements remain a pillar of the nations' partnership in this area.
According to experts, Russia has supplied over $65 billion worth of military equipment to India since bilateral defense industry cooperation was launched in 1960.
In October 2018, Moscow and New Delhi signed a contract for the deliveries of five regiments of advanced S-400 air defense systems worth more than $5 billion. This deal has already been called the largest in the entire history of Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport.
In addition, the shipments of Russian Project 11356 frigates to India, as well as the deliveries of a large batch of man-portable air-defense system Igla, are among other major contracts that were concluded in 2018.
In May of that year, Russian Helicopters also received an official request from the Indian Defense Ministry for the deliveries of 200 Ka-226T helicopters.
Russia also trains Indian military experts at the Defense Ministry's universities, and the two countries hold annual military exercises. Relations between Moscow and New Delhi provide for a mechanism of bilateral consultations on issues of regional and global security and military reforms.
The countries have established the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission for Military-Technical Cooperation, headed by national defense ministers, to coordinate the process of bilateral defense cooperation.
Russian-Indian cultural cooperation remains a traditionally important aspect of bilateral relations. The countries take turn hosting each others' performers; theater, song and dance groups; and various exhibitions. They also organize academic and literary seminars and conferences. The countries cooperate on museum and library projects as well as in the film industry.
Cooperation in the field of tourism is also developing. The year of 2018 was designated as Russian-Indian Year of Tourism.
According to the Indian Ministry of Tourism, 2018 saw a 30 percent increase in the number of Russian tourists coming to India. The number of Indian tourists in Russia, meanwhile, saw a 27.5 percent growth last year, with over 80,000 Indians having visited Russia.
