India’s NSA visits Moscow

By IAR Desk

India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval concluded a visit to Moscow on 21 August, 2019. The visit came at the invitation of Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Russian National Security Council.

This was Mr. Doval’s first visit to Russia since the Indian parliament abrogated Jammu and Kashmir state’s special privileges and bifurcation of the state into two union territories. Doval had spent two weeks in Kashmir during soon after the abrogation. He is believed to have touched upon the issue of Kashmir and Pakistan’s warmongering and shrill rhetoric since then. Russia had backed India’s position that the Kashmir issue and its reorganization was entirely a domestic affair and differences with Pakistan would be resolved only bilaterally. Russia had also taken a similar position during the recent UN Security Council meet on Kashmir, demanded by Pakistan and pushed for by China, though tweets by Russia’s First Deputy Representative of Russia to the UN had however caused a ruffle in India when he referred to the UN Charter and ‘relevant UN resolutions’ for India and Pakistan to resolve their differences regarding Kashmir.

Both sides reaffirmed their intention to intensify counter terrorism cooperation. The discussions touched upon other regional and international issues and were based on mutual trust and confidence showed identical or close positions on various issues characteristic of the Special and Privileged Strategic partnership between the two countries. “The longstanding position of both sides on importance of their bilateral consultations and mutual support for principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference of third parties was reiterated,” said India’s External Affairs Ministry in a statement.

Doval also discussed with Patrushev preparations for Prime Minister’s visit to Vladivostok for the Eastern Economic Forum in early September. The Prime Minister will be the Chief Guest at the forum. Earlier in June a delegation from Russia’s Ministry for Far East Development had visited India led by Mr. Yury Tretnev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District.

Russia’s Far Eastern Region is resource rich with oil and gas and timber but sparsely populated. Russia has evinced interest in having Indian skilled labour develop the region. Diamond-processing, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Coal and mining, Agro-processing and Tourism which have been identified as the priority areas for development in the Russian Far East.

Last week the the press service of the Far East Investment Promotion and Export Support Agency (ANO IPA) said that the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) and the Indian University of Amity have agreed on the cross-opening of the Yoga Center and the Pushkin Russian Language Learning Center. Universities also signed an agreement of understanding for the sake of cooperation and exchange.

Academic cooperation, especially in the field of IT and medical studies holds great promise and will be debated in a special program on academic cooperation between India and Russia in the upcoming Economic Forum in September.

In a recent forum on “Russian-Indian cooperation in the Russian Far East” held in Vladivostok which saw about 190 Indian and Russian firms participate, India participants expressed interest in gas imports, investing in coal minig, buying Far Eastern soybean and milk and even making films in the regions of Primorye and Yakutia.

Doval also met Director of ROSCOSMOS Dmitry Rogozin to review ongoing cooperation in the space field and the Gaganyaan programme. Rogozin applauded the progress of the Chandrayaan programme and conveyed Russia’s support and best wishes for the Mission’s success. Both sides also discussed long term aspects of space cooperation, which is expected to figure prominently in the Bilateral summit in Vladivostok.

During Modi’s visit to Vladivostok both sides will also hold the annual bilateral summit.

Aditi Bhaduri

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