India-Russia cooperation set to rise in 2014

[Kurama]

Unlike Russia, which will be led by President Vladimir Putin in 2014, the political dispensation in India may change this year. The general elections in first half of the year for the lower house of the Indian parliament will decide which political formation will hold office in New Delhi. If there is a new government, Indo-Russian relations may take a new direction. The reliable pattern in India, despite change of governments, is that in foreign policy, political parties almost hold similar positions and particularly in case of Russia there is almost near unanimity to continue and further build on a strategic partnership. Besides the political dispensation in New Delhi, the economic health of India as well as Russia will also determine the relations.


Russia, India ties move into high gear

2014 will witness the withdrawal of the US-led NATO forces from Afghanistan. India and Russia will play active roles to maintain peace and stability in the fragile nation and its neighbourhood. Both countries have already deliberated on this issue in forums including in SCO, BRICS and RIC. They are currently deliberating on joint projects for peace in Afghanistan. Afghan Ambassador to India Shaida M Abdali stated in New Delhi in December that “India and Russia will jointly help revive the (arms) maintenance factory. Experts have already met and are discussing the details”. Afghan President Hamid Karzai visited India in December to reiterate his country’s position as a traditional friend with India. The Indo-Russian partnership will also provide necessary bulwark to counter menaces of drug trafficking and terrorism in that region.

Cooperation in energy sector will receive a fillip in 2014. Whether it is establishment of additional nuclear power plant units in Tamil Nadu, or the laying down of pipelines from Russia to India, or ideas to jointly explore energy resources – cooperation in energy sector will gain priority in policy making. About cooperation in the nuclear energy, one of the contentious issues is liability in case of mishaps. With prudence, it can be hoped that the leaders of both the countries will reach a new agreement and the work on the third and fourth units of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. We are also likely to see the second unit of the plant going live this year.


Indo-Russian cooperation
Another major item of cooperation will be joint air force exercises. This will be first such exercise between the two countries. Though both have joint army and naval exercises, no such exercise has been conducted by the air forces jointly. The decision was taken during the visit of Indian Defence Minister A. K. Antony to Russia in November 2013. During the visit both the countries also agreed to strategise jointly on policies in the fast-changing global security scenario. The navies of both the countries will also hold joint exercise in the Peter the Great Bay in the Sea of Japan in 2014. Such joint exercises assume immense significance with increasing projection of both the countries to play determining role in Asia-Pacific.

Defence relations will receive a further fillip in 2014. The 14th annual Indo-Russian Summit in 2013 emphasized on “cooperation in the fields of rocket, missile and naval technologies and weapon systems.” It will be no surprise if both the countries clinch major deals. The Indian Navy has announced plans for issuing a global tender for six conventional stealth submarines worth $8 billion. Russia will likely emerge a front-runner for this order.

2014 also marks the 50th anniversary of industrial cooperation between the two countries. The anniversary will likely witness a major bilateral push for diversification in economic relations, and a significant increase in bilateral trade.

Multilateral cooperation

In various multilateral forums India and Russia will continue to play major roles. In 2014, the BRICS will adopt a new strategy to expand economic cooperation and the BRICS bank may become a reality. The emphasis will continue to be on evolution of a fair order in which multiple centres of power will have say in global decision making.


2013: A significant year for the India-Russia partnership

On international conflicts whether Afghanistan or other conflict hotspots like Syria both the countries will coordinate their positions. In the November SCO meeting India’s foreign secretary stated India’s support to “efforts by Russia to craft common SCO positions on Afghanistan”, and desire “to join (such efforts) and the specialised meetings to focus on this issue”.

The India-Russia partnership can be aptly summarized by the phrase ‘continuity in the midst of change.’ Bilateral relations have witnessed many ups and downs since the last two decades, but the friendship and strategic partnership have continued. The same spirit will guide the relations in 2014.

The writer is an Indian commentator. His areas of interests include conflict, terrorism, peace and development, South Asia, and strategic aspects of Eurasian politics.

India-Russia cooperation set to rise in 2014 | Russia & India Report

 

[Manvantaratruti]

The reliable pattern in India, despite change of governments, is that in foreign policy, political parties almost hold similar positions and particularly in case of Russia there is almost near unanimity to continue and further build on a strategic partnership.

This part of the article is particularly true. I cannot think of any other nation that has so much good will in India.

 

[vostok]

Always wanted to ask - is it true that in the Vedas there is a mention that the Aryans-Brahmins came to India from the North? From those lands where the half year darkness and half-year - day?
Before Peter the Great in Russia was another calendar another era. Now it is the year 7522th on Old Russian calendar.

 

[jarves]

@INDIC ,please help vostok,post no.3

 

[scorpionx]

Always wanted to ask - is it true that in the Vedas there is a mention that the Aryans-Brahmins came to India from the North? From those lands where the half year darkness and half-year - day?
Before Peter the Great in Russia was another calendar another era. Now it is the year 7522th on Old Russian calendar.

Yes,in the earlier part of Rg Veda there are hymns which state of such phenomenons. Not only that,many Gods in vedas were worshipped with slightly different names in some baltic states. There are amazing similarities between Vedic Sanskrit and Russian dialects. Some Indian historians have done some research works trying to dig out the astronomical evidences of arctic homeland of Indian aryans.

But,this does not necessarily means that Indian Brahmins had to come from polar region. The people of North and north west India had trade/cultural/linguistic affinities with those who regularly crisscrossed each other between Anatolia,Urals and the Sindh valley. So,these are simply speculation without any ground evidences.

 

[Android]

The reliable pattern in India, despite change of governments, is that in foreign policy, political parties almost hold similar positions

its changing fast particularly wrt Israel and to a little extant US and also possibly Iran and Syria. I think BJP should try to garner more shia votes by taking pro Assad and Pro Iranian stance in various issues

 

[INDIC]

Always wanted to ask - is it true that in the Vedas there is a mention that the Aryans-Brahmins came to India from the North? From those lands where the half year darkness and half-year - day?
Before Peter the Great in Russia was another calendar another era. Now it is the year 7522th on Old Russian calendar.

In Vedas the word Arya(Aryan) refers to people believing in Vedas and its customs, it don't refers to any race. Indians share a common genes R1a with Slavic people. The Vedic calender is about 5000 years old.

 

[HariPrasad]

Good move. We should push co operation hard and hard in order to have mutual benefits. This partnership is going to help both the countries.

 

[Manvantaratruti]

its changing fast particularly wrt Israel and to a little extant US and also possibly Iran and Syria. I think BJP should try to garner more shia votes by taking pro Assad and Pro Iranian stance in various issues

Indian friends circle is now expanding to include many more nations, but Russia continue to have a special place in Indian heart. Having new friends does not mean you forget your old friends.

However I agree that India needs to build closer ties with Iran......only Iran jeopardised that relationship by bombing the Israeli envoy in new Delhi and showing gross Disrespect to India. All Relationships has to be built on Mutual Respect.

 

[SwAggeR]

Russia is tried and tested partner we share long history but that said they supply critical weapons to China too .

 

[kurup]

Always wanted to ask - is it true that in the Vedas there is a mention that the Aryans-Brahmins came to India from the North? From those lands where the half year darkness and half-year - day?
Before Peter the Great in Russia was another calendar another era. Now it is the year 7522th on Old Russian calendar.

Indian freedom fighter and historian Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote a book along the same lines 'The Arctic Home in the Vedas' .

 

[Mike_Brando]

Always wanted to ask - is it true that in the Vedas there is a mention that the Aryans-Brahmins came to India from the North? From those lands where the half year darkness and half-year - day?
Before Peter the Great in Russia was another calendar another era. Now it is the year 7522th on Old Russian calendar.

well mate it is said in Mahabharata(the leading Hindu epic)that during the epic war many princes from the north came and joined forces with the two warring factions.several Indian archeologists have suggested that the ancient Indo-Aryan tribes migrated from the Arctic region and numerous flora and fauna described in the Rig Veda matched with those found in the Arctic region.so we can always assume that at least a portion of the original Indo-Aryan tribes might have migrated from the ancient Russian region to the Indian sub-continent during the late neolithic age.....

 

[vostok]

Indian freedom fighter and historian Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote a book along the same lines 'The Arctic Home in the Vedas' .

well mate it is said in Mahabharata(the leading Hindu epic)that during the epic war many princes from the north came and joined forces with the two warring factions.several Indian archeologists have suggested that the ancient Indo-Aryan tribes migrated from the Arctic region and numerous flora and fauna described in the Rig Veda matched with those found in the Arctic region.so we can always assume that at least a portion of the original Indo-Aryan tribes might have migrated from the ancient Russian region to the Indian sub-continent during the late neolithic age.....

Thanks. So such theories are truly exists. Recently in Russia are made some attempts to go beyond the main view on our history. Because the Germans wrote it in the 18th century (Under Peter and Cathrine the Great). The history that was before thoroughly destroyed - burned books, destroyed monasteries, who disagreed. Altered the whole country in the European manner.
In our ancient chronicles were chronology from the Creation. In 1700, Peter changed the old Russian calendar that was year 7208 to a Christian one. And he made all people to forget their past.
I think in the next decade, we will know the truth. Find out what was actually history of Slavic and Russian.

 

[Mike_Brando]

Thanks. So such theories are truly exists. Recently in Russia are made some attempts to go beyond the main view on our history. Because the Germans wrote it in the 18th century (Under Peter and Cathrine the Great). The history that was before thoroughly destroyed - burned books, destroyed monasteries, who disagreed. Altered the whole country in the European manner.
In our ancient chronicles were chronology from the Creation. In 1700, Peter changed the old Russian calendar that was year 7208 to a Christian one. And he made all people to forget their past.
I think in the next decade, we will know the truth. Find out what was actually history of Slavic and Russian.

you should be surprised to know that the 72% of the Bengali Brahmin community(living in the state of W.Bengal,India) share the same Haplogroup R1a1(which originated in the Eurasian steppes) gene with their eastern Slavic counterparts.

 

[vostok]

you should be surprised to know that the 72% of the Bengali Brahmin community(living in the state of W.Bengal,India) share the same Haplogroup R1a1(which originated in the Eurasian steppes) gene with their eastern Slavic counterparts.

There are some legends even - rumors that once in ancient times long before Christ there was a huge Slavic or Russia civilization. Vedic.