India conveys to Moscow its displeasure with Russia-Pak military exercise

New Delhi, October 11

India has conveyed its objection to joint Russia-Pakistan military exercises to Moscow, an Indian envoy to Russia has said, days before Russian President Vladmir Putin visits India. 

"We have conveyed our views to the Russian side that military cooperation with Pakistan which is a State that sponsors and practises terrorism as a matter of State policy is a wrong approach and it will only create further problems," Indian Ambassador to Moscow Pankaj Saran said in an interview to Russian news agency Ria Novosti on Tuesday.

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Saran said: "There are some burning issues before the world today, which the BRICS countries will certainly address. This includes the question of terrorism and the threat of terrorism faced by all the countries in the BRICS group. So this will be a major item of discussion during the summit, apart from the regional conflicts and the global situation."

Putin will attend the BRICS summit in Goa on October 16. He will also hold a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the summit on October 15, also in Goa. The meeting will primarily focus on security, defence and trade deals, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

India and Russia are currently negotiating the purchase of 5 S-400 'Triumf' long-range air defence missile systems, Kamov-28 helicopters and the upgrading of Sukhoi 30-MKIs.

India also wants to lease an Akula-class nuclear submarine from Russia.

Saran’s remarks come as tensions rise in the Indian subcontinent.

India has voiced its displeasure at joint military exercises between Moscow and Islamabad held last month, but the Kremlin dismisses New Delhi's concerns.

Relations between the two neighbours have cooled in the past few months, first after unrest in Kashmir, then over militant attacks in an army camp in north Kashmir’s Uri.

Pakistan denies India’s claims of surgical strikes — military raids on terrorist launch pads on the Pakistani soil 3 km from the shared border. India however says it has killed several terrorists in the strikes. — PTI