Strategic India-Russia defence cooperation expanding into new domains: Russian Deputy PM

By Ayushi Agarwal

New Delhi [India], December 2 (ANI): Russia has reaffirmed that its defence partnership with India remains strategic, evolving steadily toward deeper technological and industrial collaboration. In an interview ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to India, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said joint development, co-production, and localisation have become the core pillars of the relationship.

Manturov underscored that Russia continues to be one of India's most significant defence partners, noting that over the past decade Moscow has consistently accounted for more than 30 per cent of India's total defence procurements.

"The military-technical cooperation between our countries is of strategic importance, strengthening and developing each year," he said.

According to Manturov, the cooperation has increasingly shifted from straightforward supply contracts to long-term technological partnerships. "The main vector of our partnership has shifted towards technological cooperation... including with respect to the 'Make in India' initiative," he noted.

Addressing speculation around the S-400 air defence system, Manturov affirmed that the delivery schedule remains firmly on track. "The contract is executed within the timeframes agreed upon by the parties," he said.

"With regard to the supply of S-400 'Triumph' long-range anti-aircraft missile systems, the contract is executed within the timeframes agreed upon by the parties", said Manturov.

Russia has been a longstanding, time-tested partner of India. The development of India-Russia relations has been a key pillar of India's foreign policy. Since the signing of the "Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership" in October 2000 (during the visit of President Putin), India-Russia ties have acquired a qualitatively new character with enhanced levels of cooperation in almost all areas, including political, security, defence, trade and economy, science and technology, culture, and people-to-people ties.

During the visit of the Russian President to India in December 2010, the Strategic Partnership was elevated to the level of "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership," further consolidating the multi-dimensional cooperation between the two countries. (ANI)

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