"The Indian dialogue" reduced Biden's chances

Indo-Pacific "square" won't pass

It is remarkable that Vladimir Putin's visit to India took place on the eve of his negotiations with the American leader Joseph Biden. As is well-known the USA is one of competitors of Russia in the international market of sale of arms.

The President of Russia Vladimir Putin and the prime minister of India Narendra Modi met in New Delhi, for the first time since 2019 when the Indian prime minister visited Vladivostok in September where Narendra Modi as the guest of honor participated in East economic forum, the correspondent of The Moscow Post tells.

The Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Yury Ushakov noted that their informal communication which allows Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi to discuss "the most difficult, most delicate questions of the international situation" became one of mechanisms of dialogue in private.

In India long waited for a visit, the delay was caused by a pandemic. In April, 2021 India was visited by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, confirmed that the relations have character of "especially exclusive strategic partnership".

Westernized lobby and opposition, using uncertainty with terms of a visit of Vladimir Putin, I built guesses concerning weakening of communications with Russia. But communications, apparently, receive new incentives for development as a result of a visit of the Russian president. There is it in the competition to the USA and Japan which kind of began to count India as the party of the Indo-Pacific "square" constructed by the USA, Japan and Australia for counteraction to China.

Close philosophy, and beginning of "revolution"

Quite so Vladimir Putin called India, addressing the Indian colleague. He characterized their history as "remarkable". Leaders of Russia and India defined the new strategy of partnership.

The foundation of the relations was laid in 1947, passed tests for years of Cold War, confrontation of India with Pakistan and China, difficulties in the Soviet-Chinese relations and military intervention of the USSR, and then and the USA in affairs of Afghanistan. At all stages of the relation had friendly character. The Soviet prime minister Aleksei Kosygin was an intermediary in the course of settlement of border conflict between India and Pakistan in 1965. At the time of the USSR in the relations differences in political system weren't noticeable, especially it wasn't during the Post-Soviet period.

Military cooperation, programs of exchanges of experts in this area, deliveries of arms were and remain a basis of bilateral "material relations" between Moscow and New Delhi. Russia served as the main supplier of military equipment for India. In 2004, for example, the share of the Russian Federation in the Indian military import exceeded 70%.

The intergovernmental agreement on trade and economic cooperation of 1992 and also the Treaty of friendship and cooperation of 1993 became a basis of bilateral economic relations. Now goods turnover is up to 8.7 billion dollars with a growth of the Russian export in three quarters for 43% to 5.6 billion dollars.

Investment cooperation of Moscow and New Delhi "weighs" about 38 billion dollars and is distributed approximately equally. The key perspective directions include power, high technologies and space, care of the environment. Russia and India stage joint military exercises "both in the territory of India, and in the territory of Russia". The parties intend to develop further cooperation in the military sphere. "We together are engaged in developments of hi-tech military products and production, including in India", - Vladimir Putin noticed.

During the visit there took place consultations of heads of Defense and Foreign Ministries of two countries in the 2+2 format with participation of the general Sergey Shoygu, the Minister of Defence of India Rajnath of Singh and Foreign Ministers of Russia and India Sergei Lavrov and S. Dzhayshankar.

The meeting of the Intergovernmental commission on the military and military technically to cooperation which from the Russian side is headed by Sergey Shoygu, and with the Indian — the Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh took place. The agreement on the program of military and technical cooperation till 2031 meaning cooperation of types and types of military forces and also questions of deliveries and development of arms and military equipment is signed. The Minister of Defence of India Rajnath Singh expressed satisfaction with negotiations.

Accepting credentials at Kapoor's Pavane who arrived in Moscow at the end of November of the ambassador of India, Vladimir Putin said: "We intend to increase really multidimensional bilateral interaction. We regard India as one of the independent strong centers of the multipolar world with foreign policy philosophy close to us and priorities".

The ambassador of India in the Russian Federation Bala Venkatesh Varma before departure from Russia said in the interview that "in the Russian-Indian relations there is revolution".

"Act in the Far East"

Prime Minister Modi's visit to Vladivostok in 2019 served as an impetus for the formation of a new Indian policy, "Act in the Far East." India, in particular, opened a $1 billion concessional credit line to increase the participation of Indian businesses in development projects. The Government of India is interested in the development of the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime transport corridor, which will complement the trans-Iranian North-South corridor, intends to take part in the development of the Northern Sea Route.

Putin and Modi welcomed the interest of Indian companies in cooperation in the Russian Far East. "Energy, transport and logistics, maritime communications, diamond processing, forest management, pharmaceuticals and health care, tourism and humanitarian sectors are identified as areas of further cooperation in the Russian Far East," the adopted statement emphasizes.

In the sphere of defense the signing of the contract on SAM system S-400 took place. Four frigates of the project "1135.6" are being built together. In India, the production of the AK-203 assault rifle will be established, additional deliveries of Su-30 MKI and MiG-29 combat jet fighters, Mango ammunition and short-range air defense systems will be underway. The former Indian ambassador to the Russian Federation noted that "Russia regained first place in the list of defense partners. Russia interacts with India in terms of the most advanced defense technologies. " Russia may become a partner in the Do in India defense program.

In the oil and gas region, volatile India takes part in the Vostok Oil project, plans to take part in Arctic LNG-2, in petrochemical projects, and increase the import of Russian oil. Rosneft and Indian Oil during the visit signed a contract for the supply of up to 2 million tons of oil to India through the port of Novorossiysk until the end of 2022. An agreement has been concluded on the long-term supply of coking coal, it is planned to import fertilizers. India will make efforts to officially allocate a second site for the construction of nuclear power plants according to the Russian project.

One of the main areas of cooperation was the production in India of the Satellite V vaccine. The intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation should be supplemented by groups on transport, railways and urban development, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is stated in a joint statement adopted following Monday's talks

MDL cooperates with the Zvezda shipyard in the construction of new vessels for the Northern Sea Route. The parties intend to develop cooperation in the field of civil shipbuilding and training of sailors. There are plans to develop new projects in pharmaceuticals, ceramics, the chemical industry, high-tech industries, robotics, Internet banking. Investment in India's railway sector is possible.

"Double deterrence" and new contracts

India is a member of the Indo-Pacific Square (QUAD), and Prime Minister Modi participated in a recent summit in Washington. India, diplomats say, has agreed to cooperate only on certain areas, including the pandemic, infrastructure, technology, climate, youth exchanges. India does not perceive QUAD as an alliance.

India intends to use its capabilities in accordance with the requirements of its own security and foreign policy interests, which does not contradict the strategic partnership with Russia. "Just as we strive to establish partnerships with QUAD, we strive for a similar partnership with BRICS and SCO," said former Indian Ambassador to the Russian Federation Bala Venkatesh Varma. We also sought partnership relations, no matter how difficult they seem, within the framework of the RIC (Russia-India-China), "he added in an interview before leaving Moscow.

Moscow attaches the role of a key factor in the global balance of power and influence to partnership with Delhi. Relations are tested for "strategic strength." This is due to the growing US confrontational policy towards Russia, as well as the aggravation of the Indian-Chinese dialogue, especially in the border areas. India has a policy of "strategic autonomy" and has a strategic partnership with the United States. Geopolitical shifts could threaten bilateral relations and multilateral formats that include India and China. Pakistan also participates in the SCO.

The confrontation between the United States and Russia and China took shape in a strategy of "double deterrence." In its implementation, the United States relies on India - "the largest democracy in the world." Rising tensions on the border in East Ladakh and a border incident last summer in the Galwan River Valley are associated with the death of Indian troops in a skirmish with Chinese border guards. India's defense doctrine provides for the possibility of waging war simultaneously on two fronts, with Pakistan and China.

Participants in the online meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, India and China (RIC format) confirmed that such meetings are important for a "democratic multipolar world order." Russia has a key role in maintaining this format of consultations. According to Sergei Lavrov, the format is in demand from the point of view of ensuring security, "improving the architecture of interstate relations in the Asia-Pacific region" and promoting economic integration, and is also necessary in the process of forming a "democratic multipolar world order."

"The Ministers agreed that the imposition of unilateral sanctions, except those adopted by the UN Security Council, does not comply with the principles of international law. Such restrictions have reduced the effectiveness and legality of the Security Council sanctions regime and have a negative impact on our three states and international trade and economic cooperation, "the final communiqué said.

The document also mentions such topics as the COVID-19 pandemic, Syria, Yemen, the use of information technologies, combating biological and chemical terrorism, cooperation within the framework of the BRICS and SCO. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following talks on Monday, decided to immediately provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, saying that Afghanistan should never become a "quiet haven" of global terrorism.

Russia began deliveries to India of the missile systems S-400 "Triumph". A $5.43 billion deal for the purchase of five anti-aircraft missile systems was concluded in 2018. Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov called the format of military-technical cooperation (MTC) of Russia and India advanced. Deliveries of missile systems S-400 Triumph can cause US sanctions in accordance with the 2017 Law on Countering America's Opponents through Sanctions (CAATSA), which imposes economic penalties on countries buying Russian military equipment.

It is no secret that Russia and the United States are competing in the international arms market. And in this sense, it is characteristic that on the eve of negotiations with his American counterpart, the President of Russia decided to look into India, which is one of the main consumers of our military products. Probably, after this meeting, the American president in his "negotiating deck" clearly decreased the trump card.