dadeechi
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What is your point?
India-Russia Divorce and its impact on Indian defence
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What is your point?
Hindustani78
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Republic of India is having a very matured foreign policy thats why majority of Arab countries, Turkey and SAARC countries are having good and balanced relations with Republic of India.
Actually its Chinese who are backing Pakistan .
dadeechi
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Power Play: Russia Cosying up to Pakistan to Win Back India
Shyam Saran
Today, 12 hours ago
Games Govts Play
If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
The Quint: Old Friend Russia Part of India’s Anti-Terror War: Modi
India-Russia relations began to undergo a substantive change after the end of the Cold War. This was inevitable since the key drivers of the three-decade-long strategic partnership (1960-1990) began to lose relevance in a changed international landscape.
One, the new Russia no longer perceived China as a major security threat, certainly not to the extent that India did. However, a degree of anxiety about Chinese intentions in Russia’s Siberian Far East and Central Asia remained.
Two, even though Russia continued to be a significant partner for India in advanced defence technology and hardware, the end of the Cold War opened the doors for India to access these from the US and other Western countries.
Russia’s virtual monopoly in this regard diminished. The disruptions caused by the overthrow of the old Soviet command and control system also led to problems in accessing spares and components for Russian-made equipment and to unpredictable and sometimes extortionate pricing.
Also Read: India, Russia Sign 16 Key Agreements, Defence Sector Leads the Way
Moscow-Beijing Axis
At one time, in 2005, virtually 40 percent of India’s air assets were non-operational because of supply issues. The bitter dispute over refurbishing the Russian-made aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorshkov, for induction into the Indian Navy only strengthened the drive towards diversification of supplies. On the other hand, Russia began supplying sophisticated military hardware to China. This diminished the edge that India so far possessed, as the sole non-Warsaw Pact recipient of such hardware.
Three, the importance of the then Soviet market for a range of Indian exports such as tea, tobacco and leather goods among others under the rupee-rouble trade, virtually evaporated. This happened because Russia and India became increasingly globalised, market economies. India-Russia trade continues to be anaemic despite periodic and ambitious target-setting.
Also Read: As China Stalls India’s NSG Bid, Modi Turns to Putin for Backing
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: AP)
Erosion in Special Ties
Given this background, it was inevitable that India-Russia relations would tend to, over time, lose their special character. It was also unavoidable that each would respond to contemporary preoccupations rather than cling to sentimentalities of the past. One should acknowledge that in the current international landscape, India does not figure very high in Russian priorities, neither does Russia in Indian priorities.
If India continues to figure in Russian calculations, it is mostly as a continuing and lucrative market for defence hardware and nuclear power plants. In this context, Russia may see its outreach to Pakistan as a useful lever to retain its share of the Indian defence market.
Also Read: India Asks Russia to Stop Military Cooperation With Pakistan
Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: Reuters)
Russia’s Tactical Calculations
The announcement of a slew of defence hardware supply agreements during the Modi-Putin meeting in Goa on the sidelines of the BRICS summit may well have reinforced Russian calculations in this regard. We may well see further Russian moves towards Pakistan in the coming days, driven by such tactical calculations.
The Russian media has been pointing to other reasons why Moscow’s engagement with Islamabad has become necessary. Afghanistan is being cited as one such reason but also ‘the Islamic crescent’ adjoining Russia’s Central Asian borders. Echoing the Chinese refrain, Russian analysts point to the critical role Pakistan will play in restoring peace and stability to Afghanistan. They also talk of Pakistan’s help in preventing the radicalisation of the Muslim populations within and outside its southern borders.
Position on Terrorism
We must note, therefore, that the Russian position has gravitated closer to the Chinese position and that Pakistan is no longer being projected as the epicentre of terrorism as it once was by the Russians. Lately, mention is also being made of Pakistan’s role with respect to developments in Syria where Russia is heavily involved.
It is not clear what this Pakistani role could be. There are references to Pakistan enabling Russia to be accepted as an observer at the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) as a quid pro quo for supporting Pakistan’s entry to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
One could link several of these recent developments to the growing strategic congruence between China and Russia especially in the wake of the Ukraine crisis. The sense of anxiety and vulnerability that Russia has felt about China despite greatly improved relations in the post-Cold War period, has become muted in the wake of renewed hostility in relations with the West.
Also Read: Russia’s Stint in Syria: India Should Stick to Its Neutral Stand
Confronting the West
There is now a strong driver bringing Russia and China together in confronting the West. Russia is more dependent on Chinese support as the US has put sanctions on Russia and targets it openly in Europe. The Chinese market has become progressively more significant for Russia, particularly as an importer for Russian energy resources, in an era of prolonged depression in oil prices.
It is not surprising, therefore, that Russia has started to align itself more with Chinese positions on a number of regional and international issues. The outreach to Pakistan may well reflect this trend. This is not different from what happened in 1971 when the US under Richard Nixon sought to uphold Pakistan’s interests, to curry favour with its new-found Chinese ally. India became collateral damage in the process.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif walks past Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo: Reuters)
India’s Response
What should India’s response be to these developments? First, we should avoid raising Pakistan to the level of an over-riding preoccupation, which substantively it is not. That’s because this also sets us up for both our friends and adversaries using Pakistan as leverage against India.
Pakistan’s use of cross-border terrorism against India is an admission of its own weakness, in real power terms, against India. If Pakistan is a threat, it is so as a sub-set of the larger Chinese threat, which really should be our preoccupation.
Secondly, there are enough reasons for India to remain deeply engaged with Russia. It will remain a key source of sensitive technologies and hardware, even as we diversify our sources of supply as we must in our own interest. It may well become a key energy partner as our own energy demand increases and Russia looks for markets outside Europe.
Biding for Time
Thirdly, Russia may be in a relatively vulnerable position at the moment. This compels it to mute its concerns over Chinese inroads into its Central Asian neighbourhood and the Chinese demographic challenge to its sparsely populated Far Eastern territories.
In the long run these concerns will resurface. Russia has always had a sense of itself as a great power. It is unlikely to accept as a permanent condition a junior status to an ascendant China. India should bide for that moment.
(The writer is a former foreign secretary and is currently chairman, Research and Information System for Developing Countries, and Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research. The views expressed above are his own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)
https://www.thequint.com/india/2016...ndia-vladmir-putin-narendra-modi-nawaz-sharif
Shyam Saran
Today, 12 hours ago
Games Govts Play
- In the current international landscape, India does not figure very high in Russian priorities and vice versa.
- Russia may see its outreach to Pakistan as a useful lever to retain its share of the Indian defence market.
- Russian media has been pointing to other reasons why Moscow’s engagement with Islamabad has become necessary.
- Afghanistan is being cited as one such reason, besides ‘the Islamic crescent’ adjoining Russia’s Central Asian borders.
- There is now a strong driver bringing Russia and China together in confronting the West.
- India must avoid raising Pakistan to the level of an over-riding preoccupation.
- India must remain deeply engaged with Russia as the latter will remain a key source of sensitive technologies, hardware and energy.
If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
The Quint: Old Friend Russia Part of India’s Anti-Terror War: Modi
India-Russia relations began to undergo a substantive change after the end of the Cold War. This was inevitable since the key drivers of the three-decade-long strategic partnership (1960-1990) began to lose relevance in a changed international landscape.
One, the new Russia no longer perceived China as a major security threat, certainly not to the extent that India did. However, a degree of anxiety about Chinese intentions in Russia’s Siberian Far East and Central Asia remained.
Two, even though Russia continued to be a significant partner for India in advanced defence technology and hardware, the end of the Cold War opened the doors for India to access these from the US and other Western countries.
Russia’s virtual monopoly in this regard diminished. The disruptions caused by the overthrow of the old Soviet command and control system also led to problems in accessing spares and components for Russian-made equipment and to unpredictable and sometimes extortionate pricing.
Also Read: India, Russia Sign 16 Key Agreements, Defence Sector Leads the Way
Moscow-Beijing Axis
At one time, in 2005, virtually 40 percent of India’s air assets were non-operational because of supply issues. The bitter dispute over refurbishing the Russian-made aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorshkov, for induction into the Indian Navy only strengthened the drive towards diversification of supplies. On the other hand, Russia began supplying sophisticated military hardware to China. This diminished the edge that India so far possessed, as the sole non-Warsaw Pact recipient of such hardware.
Three, the importance of the then Soviet market for a range of Indian exports such as tea, tobacco and leather goods among others under the rupee-rouble trade, virtually evaporated. This happened because Russia and India became increasingly globalised, market economies. India-Russia trade continues to be anaemic despite periodic and ambitious target-setting.
Also Read: As China Stalls India’s NSG Bid, Modi Turns to Putin for Backing
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: AP)
Erosion in Special Ties
Given this background, it was inevitable that India-Russia relations would tend to, over time, lose their special character. It was also unavoidable that each would respond to contemporary preoccupations rather than cling to sentimentalities of the past. One should acknowledge that in the current international landscape, India does not figure very high in Russian priorities, neither does Russia in Indian priorities.
If India continues to figure in Russian calculations, it is mostly as a continuing and lucrative market for defence hardware and nuclear power plants. In this context, Russia may see its outreach to Pakistan as a useful lever to retain its share of the Indian defence market.
Also Read: India Asks Russia to Stop Military Cooperation With Pakistan
Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: Reuters)
Russia’s Tactical Calculations
The announcement of a slew of defence hardware supply agreements during the Modi-Putin meeting in Goa on the sidelines of the BRICS summit may well have reinforced Russian calculations in this regard. We may well see further Russian moves towards Pakistan in the coming days, driven by such tactical calculations.
The Russian media has been pointing to other reasons why Moscow’s engagement with Islamabad has become necessary. Afghanistan is being cited as one such reason but also ‘the Islamic crescent’ adjoining Russia’s Central Asian borders. Echoing the Chinese refrain, Russian analysts point to the critical role Pakistan will play in restoring peace and stability to Afghanistan. They also talk of Pakistan’s help in preventing the radicalisation of the Muslim populations within and outside its southern borders.
Position on Terrorism
We must note, therefore, that the Russian position has gravitated closer to the Chinese position and that Pakistan is no longer being projected as the epicentre of terrorism as it once was by the Russians. Lately, mention is also being made of Pakistan’s role with respect to developments in Syria where Russia is heavily involved.
It is not clear what this Pakistani role could be. There are references to Pakistan enabling Russia to be accepted as an observer at the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) as a quid pro quo for supporting Pakistan’s entry to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
One could link several of these recent developments to the growing strategic congruence between China and Russia especially in the wake of the Ukraine crisis. The sense of anxiety and vulnerability that Russia has felt about China despite greatly improved relations in the post-Cold War period, has become muted in the wake of renewed hostility in relations with the West.
Also Read: Russia’s Stint in Syria: India Should Stick to Its Neutral Stand
Confronting the West
There is now a strong driver bringing Russia and China together in confronting the West. Russia is more dependent on Chinese support as the US has put sanctions on Russia and targets it openly in Europe. The Chinese market has become progressively more significant for Russia, particularly as an importer for Russian energy resources, in an era of prolonged depression in oil prices.
It is not surprising, therefore, that Russia has started to align itself more with Chinese positions on a number of regional and international issues. The outreach to Pakistan may well reflect this trend. This is not different from what happened in 1971 when the US under Richard Nixon sought to uphold Pakistan’s interests, to curry favour with its new-found Chinese ally. India became collateral damage in the process.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif walks past Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo: Reuters)
India’s Response
What should India’s response be to these developments? First, we should avoid raising Pakistan to the level of an over-riding preoccupation, which substantively it is not. That’s because this also sets us up for both our friends and adversaries using Pakistan as leverage against India.
Pakistan’s use of cross-border terrorism against India is an admission of its own weakness, in real power terms, against India. If Pakistan is a threat, it is so as a sub-set of the larger Chinese threat, which really should be our preoccupation.
Secondly, there are enough reasons for India to remain deeply engaged with Russia. It will remain a key source of sensitive technologies and hardware, even as we diversify our sources of supply as we must in our own interest. It may well become a key energy partner as our own energy demand increases and Russia looks for markets outside Europe.
Biding for Time
Thirdly, Russia may be in a relatively vulnerable position at the moment. This compels it to mute its concerns over Chinese inroads into its Central Asian neighbourhood and the Chinese demographic challenge to its sparsely populated Far Eastern territories.
In the long run these concerns will resurface. Russia has always had a sense of itself as a great power. It is unlikely to accept as a permanent condition a junior status to an ascendant China. India should bide for that moment.
(The writer is a former foreign secretary and is currently chairman, Research and Information System for Developing Countries, and Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research. The views expressed above are his own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)
https://www.thequint.com/india/2016...ndia-vladmir-putin-narendra-modi-nawaz-sharif
Hindustani78
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Russian Federation and Chinese wants to keep control on the oil and gas supply lines under thier influence .
Afghanistan is backyard of Republic of India as we Indians and Afghans are like cousins.
Chinese and Russians both are having disputes with thier neighbours . Republic of India do have its reservations and our national interest has been always hurted by the Chinese . Russian Federation supports Chinese more than Republic of India because both are neighbours and have an alliance within UNSC .
This is the real reason Republic of India and United States of America are having closer relationship.
We Indians are having border dispute with the Chinese
dadeechi
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Suhasini Haidar @suhasinih 16h16 hours ago
Kabulov: India has close cooperation with US, does Moscow complain? Then why complain about much lower level of coop with Pakistan?
22 replies76 retweets86 likes
Suhasini Haidar @suhasinih 16h16 hours ago
Interesting. Russian spl envoy on Afghanistan Kabulov to media: HoA not forum for 'settling scores',Put aside bilateral blames
Russia offers support to Pakistan after Heart of Asia conference
ByWeb Desk
Posted on December 4, 2016
AMRITSAR: Russian special envoy to Afghanistan Mr. Zamir Kabulov extended support to Pakistan at the concluded Heart of Asia conference in the Indian city of Amritsar.
Mr. Kabulov, while addressing the conference, said that the speech by Pakistan’s Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz was friendly and constructive.
The Russian envoy said that Afghanistan is the pivot of the Heart of Asia conference and the agenda of the conference has not been hijacked. He said that all major players must extend long-term support to Afghanistan.
He said that being friends and supporters we should avoid the blame game and work together, and that bilateral relations should not cloud forums like the Heart of Asia.
“I don’t think the Heart of Asia is the right place for settling scores,” said Kabulov while speaking to the media after the session.
He also downplayed recent Russian military exercises with Pakistan, saying that no one has the right to complain when Russia does not complain about Indian relations with the US.
Pakistan received scathing criticism at the conference from the Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani who alleged that Pakistan was providing sanctuary to terrorists.
Ghani also stepped bilateral relations with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India announced $1 billion aid to Afghanistan and to establish an air corridor between the two countries.
The Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process was established in 2011 to provide a platform to discuss regional issues, and increase security, political, and economic cooperation among Afghanistan and its neighbours.
http://arynews.tv/en/russia-offer-support-to-pakistan-after-heart-of-asia-conference/
Last edited:
MULUBJA
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Any divorce is unlikely because we have an presented collaboration in many military and non military areas and our buyer seller relations have now turned into a wide based partnership in r & d, co manufacturing, selling and commercial as well as non commercial ventures
spectribution
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https://twitter.com/suhasinih?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author
Kabulov: India has close cooperation with US, does Moscow complain? Then why complain about much lower level of coop with Pakistan?
22 replies76 retweets86 likes
Interesting. Russian spl envoy on Afghanistan Kabulov to media: HoA not forum for 'settling scores',Put aside bilateral blames
Russia offers support to Pakistan after Heart of Asia conference
ByWeb Desk
Posted on December 4, 2016
AMRITSAR: Russian special envoy to Afghanistan Mr. Zamir Kabulov extended support to Pakistan at the concluded Heart of Asia conference in the Indian city of Amritsar.
Mr. Kabulov, while addressing the conference, said that the speech by Pakistan’s Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz was friendly and constructive.
The Russian envoy said that Afghanistan is the pivot of the Heart of Asia conference and the agenda of the conference has not been hijacked. He said that all major players must extend long-term support to Afghanistan.
He said that being friends and supporters we should avoid the blame game and work together, and that bilateral relations should not cloud forums like the Heart of Asia.
“I don’t think the Heart of Asia is the right place for settling scores,” said Kabulov while speaking to the media after the session.
He also downplayed recent Russian military exercises with Pakistan, saying that no one has the right to complain when Russia does not complain about Indian relations with the US.
Pakistan received scathing criticism at the conference from the Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani who alleged that Pakistan was providing sanctuary to terrorists.
Ghani also stepped bilateral relations with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India announced $1 billion aid to Afghanistan and to establish an air corridor between the two countries.
The Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process was established in 2011 to provide a platform to discuss regional issues, and increase security, political, and economic cooperation among Afghanistan and its neighbours.
http://arynews.tv/en/russia-offer-support-to-pakistan-after-heart-of-asia-conference/
This bi4ch Suhashini Haider is a Pakistan supporter / liberal. GoI must keep her on terror watch. All these critters crawl out of the woodwork and cause damage to our motherland.
dadeechi
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Suhasini Haidar is Subramanyam Swamy's daughter and worked for CNN-IBN which are part of Network 18 which owned by Ambanis who are close to PM.
Both liberal media like Network 18 and conservative media like Zee are supporting Modi.
Only Socialist media like NDTV spports congress and not BJP.
Again the below article is from FirstPost again part of Network 18.
Both Modi team and the supporting media are celebrating this divorce.
Heart of Asia realignments: India-Afghanistan in open courtship as Russia falls by wayside
Dec 5, 2016 15:14 IST
ul.articledisc li{list-style:disc}ul.articlecircle li{list-style:circle}
In diplomacy, the subtext is often as important as the text. As the sixth edition of the annual Heart of Asia Conference came to a close on Sunday, between the comments and declarations, the narrative and the counter-narrative, lay the contours of a new, deviatory foreign policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A nation's strategic affairs are usually the result of well-curated gradualism. Major shifts are rare unless there is a confluence of circumstances and a strong leadership willing to shake off hesitations of history. At the end of the two-day summit, it does appear that India is on the cusp of a bold revision. Two things are immediately clear.
×
One, India is no longer coy about its relationship with Afghanistan and sees the Central Asian nation as an important pivot. Two, it is fast recalibrating its historic ties with Russia. We are still a long way away from hearing the last word of an enduring strategic partnership but New Delhi is close to accepting (after staying in long denial) that the Cold War-era bonhomie with Moscow is over. Indo-Russian ties, too, have fallen prey to the sweeping currents of realignment triggered by the end of American exceptionalism and the simultaneous rise of China.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani. PTI
Though major regional and global players met in Amritsar ostensibly to guide Afghanistan through its political and economic transition, in reality Heart of Asia platform was reduced to staging just another boxing bout between India, Pakistan and Afghanistan with Russia trying to play the referee and media in Islamabad and New Delhi in breathless anticipation for resumption of talks.
ADVERTISING
inRead invented by Teads
As if that would serve any purpose.
The way the pugilists threw their punches, it became abundantly clear that Kabul and New Delhi now see no point in downplaying the convergence of their strategic and commercial interests. In setting diplomatic niceties aside and blasting Pakistan's complicity in sponsoring terror within its borders and inflicting an "undeclared war", Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani reflected his growing frustration with a delinquent neighbour. The ferocity of his charge not only laid bare Pakistan's duplicity but also ratified New Delhi's line on cross-border terrorism.
This growing closeness stays true to a trajectory in bilateral relations that saw New Delhi supply Afghanistan with four attack helicopters, the first supply of lethal military hardware to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). As a Defenseworld.net article points out, "The first three Mi-24 gunships were delivered in December 2015, before Modi visited Kabul to inaugurate the new Parliament, constructed through India's assistance."
These Russian-made choppers are expected to aid Afghan Air Force in their battle against the Taliban who still occupy 10 percent of territory and is in direct confrontation with Afghan forces for control over another 25 percent of land. Ghani accuses Pakistan of harbouring Taliban masterminds and reiterated before a full house of foreign delegates in Amritsar that were it not been for Islamabad's duplicity, the Taliban wouldn't last even a month.
Quoting a Taliban leader, the Afghanistan President said: “As Kakazada (Mullah Rahmatullah Kakazada), one of the key figures in the Taliban movement, recently said, if they did not have sanctuary in Pakistan, they would not last a month,” according to a report in The Indian Express. In words that leave no space for ambiguity, Ghani rejected Pakistan's $500 million pledge to "rebuild Afghanistan" and asked its foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz to instead use the money to "check extremism" on its soil.
Ghani didn't stop there. According to the report, he accused Pakistan of selectively displacing terror networks in North Waziristan, betraying Afghanistan's trust and inflicting on its soil a war that has grown in intensity during 2016 and has caused the highest number of civilian casualties and military-related deaths in the world.
In contrast, Ghani was effusive in his praise for India. News agency PTI quoted the Afghan President as saying that "India's assistance is transparent and with no strings attached… there are no hidden deals between India and Afghanistan." He also mentioned the "spontaneous celebrations" all over the country following the inauguration of Salma Dam by Modi during his Afghanistan visit and thanked India for further assistance of $1 billion apart from $2 billion.
Though Pakistan has long felt insecure about an India-Afghanistan axis that circumvents it and renders ineffective its geostrategic positioning, Islamabad's obstructionist policies — refusing to let Afghanistan carry on trade with India through its territory — and subversive use of terror have ironically served to catalyse the very thing it dreads. There is now an even greater likelihood — with Modi and Ghani meeting on the sidelines and agreeing on a joint air corridor to bypass Pakistan and enhance bilateral trade — that the relationship will now be taken to the next level.
A commercial-strategic tie-up with Afghanistan — whose unique position as a central Asian country that provides connectivity to several Asian and even European nations — may offer India the chance to counter China's strategic depth through the CPEC.
And in Ghani, Modi has a counterpart who's willing to take India on board. While talking later to Suhasini Haidar of The Hindu during an interview, Ghani said, "India is converging with Afghanistan. There is nothing secret. It is a transparent state to state relationship. We are driven by common goals and opportunities." He even quoted Tagore's Kabuliwala to underline the historic bond between the nations.
But while one historic bond is being revived, another one fell by the wayside. In an extraordinary manouvre that reflected the depths of disparity in which Indo-Russian ties have fallen, Vladimir Putin's envoy Zamir Kabulov rejected India and Afghainstan's criticism of Pakistan and lectured on the need to "avoid scoring brownie points" on multilateral platforms such as these.
Pakistan media expectedly went to town with Kabulov's statements but it became clear where the shoe pinches when a question was posed on the Russia-Pakistan military exercise. “India has close cooperation with the US, does Moscow complain? Then why complain about much lower level of cooperation with Pakistan,” he said.
Foreign affairs are based on narrow self-interests, not foggy sentimentality. It makes sense for Russia, whose relationship with the US is at an all-time low since the Cold War, to migrate to a more Sino-centric axis. That shouldn't discourage India from pursuing its own self-interests. In coming out in the open over its relationship with Afghanistan, Modi has taken the right step.
http://www.firstpost.com/india/hear...tship-as-russia-falls-by-wayside-3140492.html
spectribution
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Suhasini Haidar is Subramanyam Swamy's daughter and worked for CNN-IBN which are part of Network 18 which owned by Ambanis who are close to PM.
Both liberal media like Network 18 and conservative media like Zee are supporting Modi.
Only Socialist media like NDTV spports congress and not BJP.
Again the below article is from FirstPost again part of Network 18.
Both Modi team and the supporting media are celebrating this divorce.
Heart of Asia realignments: India-Afghanistan in open courtship as Russia falls by wayside
Dec 5, 2016 15:14 IST
By Sreemoy Talukdar
ul.articledisc li{list-style:disc}ul.articlecircle li{list-style:circle}
In diplomacy, the subtext is often as important as the text. As the sixth edition of the annual Heart of Asia Conference came to a close on Sunday, between the comments and declarations, the narrative and the counter-narrative, lay the contours of a new, deviatory foreign policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A nation's strategic affairs are usually the result of well-curated gradualism. Major shifts are rare unless there is a confluence of circumstances and a strong leadership willing to shake off hesitations of history. At the end of the two-day summit, it does appear that India is on the cusp of a bold revision. Two things are immediately clear.
×
One, India is no longer coy about its relationship with Afghanistan and sees the Central Asian nation as an important pivot. Two, it is fast recalibrating its historic ties with Russia. We are still a long way away from hearing the last word of an enduring strategic partnership but New Delhi is close to accepting (after staying in long denial) that the Cold War-era bonhomie with Moscow is over. Indo-Russian ties, too, have fallen prey to the sweeping currents of realignment triggered by the end of American exceptionalism and the simultaneous rise of China.
<img class="size-full wp-image-3139118" src="http://s1.firstpost.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Modi_Ghani_2_PTI.jpg" alt="Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani. PTI" width="380" height="285" />
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani. PTI
Though major regional and global players met in Amritsar ostensibly to guide Afghanistan through its political and economic transition, in reality Heart of Asia platform was reduced to staging just another boxing bout between India, Pakistan and Afghanistan with Russia trying to play the referee and media in Islamabad and New Delhi in breathless anticipation for resumption of talks.
ADVERTISING
inRead invented by Teads
As if that would serve any purpose.
The way the pugilists threw their punches, it became abundantly clear that Kabul and New Delhi now see no point in downplaying the convergence of their strategic and commercial interests. In setting diplomatic niceties aside and blasting Pakistan's complicity in sponsoring terror within its borders and inflicting an "undeclared war", Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani reflected his growing frustration with a delinquent neighbour. The ferocity of his charge not only laid bare Pakistan's duplicity but also ratified New Delhi's line on cross-border terrorism.
This growing closeness stays true to a trajectory in bilateral relations that saw New Delhi supply Afghanistan with four attack helicopters, the first supply of lethal military hardware to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). As a Defenseworld.net article points out, "The first three Mi-24 gunships were delivered in December 2015, before Modi visited Kabul to inaugurate the new Parliament, constructed through India's assistance."
These Russian-made choppers are expected to aid Afghan Air Force in their battle against the Taliban who still occupy 10 percent of territory and is in direct confrontation with Afghan forces for control over another 25 percent of land. Ghani accuses Pakistan of harbouring Taliban masterminds and reiterated before a full house of foreign delegates in Amritsar that were it not been for Islamabad's duplicity, the Taliban wouldn't last even a month.
Quoting a Taliban leader, the Afghanistan President said: “As Kakazada (Mullah Rahmatullah Kakazada), one of the key figures in the Taliban movement, recently said, if they did not have sanctuary in Pakistan, they would not last a month,” according to a report in The Indian Express. In words that leave no space for ambiguity, Ghani rejected Pakistan's $500 million pledge to "rebuild Afghanistan" and asked its foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz to instead use the money to "check extremism" on its soil.
Ghani didn't stop there. According to the report, he accused Pakistan of selectively displacing terror networks in North Waziristan, betraying Afghanistan's trust and inflicting on its soil a war that has grown in intensity during 2016 and has caused the highest number of civilian casualties and military-related deaths in the world.
In contrast, Ghani was effusive in his praise for India. News agency PTI quoted the Afghan President as saying that "India's assistance is transparent and with no strings attached… there are no hidden deals between India and Afghanistan." He also mentioned the "spontaneous celebrations" all over the country following the inauguration of Salma Dam by Modi during his Afghanistan visit and thanked India for further assistance of $1 billion apart from $2 billion.
Though Pakistan has long felt insecure about an India-Afghanistan axis that circumvents it and renders ineffective its geostrategic positioning, Islamabad's obstructionist policies — refusing to let Afghanistan carry on trade with India through its territory — and subversive use of terror have ironically served to catalyse the very thing it dreads. There is now an even greater likelihood — with Modi and Ghani meeting on the sidelines and agreeing on a joint air corridor to bypass Pakistan and enhance bilateral trade — that the relationship will now be taken to the next level.
A commercial-strategic tie-up with Afghanistan — whose unique position as a central Asian country that provides connectivity to several Asian and even European nations — may offer India the chance to counter China's strategic depth through the CPEC.
And in Ghani, Modi has a counterpart who's willing to take India on board. While talking later to Suhasini Haidar of The Hindu during an interview, Ghani said, "India is converging with Afghanistan. There is nothing secret. It is a transparent state to state relationship. We are driven by common goals and opportunities." He even quoted Tagore's Kabuliwala to underline the historic bond between the nations.
But while one historic bond is being revived, another one fell by the wayside. In an extraordinary manouvre that reflected the depths of disparity in which Indo-Russian ties have fallen, Vladimir Putin's envoy Zamir Kabulov rejected India and Afghainstan's criticism of Pakistan and lectured on the need to "avoid scoring brownie points" on multilateral platforms such as these.
Pakistan media expectedly went to town with Kabulov's statements but it became clear where the shoe pinches when a question was posed on the Russia-Pakistan military exercise. “India has close cooperation with the US, does Moscow complain? Then why complain about much lower level of cooperation with Pakistan,” he said.
Foreign affairs are based on narrow self-interests, not foggy sentimentality. It makes sense for Russia, whose relationship with the US is at an all-time low since the Cold War, to migrate to a more Sino-centric axis. That shouldn't discourage India from pursuing its own self-interests. In coming out in the open over its relationship with Afghanistan, Modi has taken the right step.
http://www.firstpost.com/india/hear...tship-as-russia-falls-by-wayside-3140492.html
For the last fuking time this is NOT A DIVORCE! A divorce is what happened between US and Cuba after Fidel. Understand this simple piece of information. Without Russia India CANNOT build anti ship missiles, nuclear submarines or fighter jets. We are essentially expanding our market. That means if we earlier bought goods worth 500 rs from Russia out of 700 rs now we buy worth 800 rs from Russia out of 1500 rs.
Stop letting this thread grow. It's **** propaganda. Look at their pathetic military on wikipedia and IHS Janes. They run to China to secure their naval borders! Pathetic!
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Russia Publicly Favors Pakistan Over India
By Polina Tikhonova on December 21, 2016 10:33 am in Politics
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India is worried that its nearly 70-year friendship with Russia is about to end. Russia is warming up to India’s biggest historical enemy, Pakistan, which inevitably has led to tensions between New Delhi and Moscow. So even though India and Russia were very close for nearly seven decades, Russia-Indian relations have come crashing down over the last two years.
Geopolitics is the reason the relationship between the two countries is deteriorating. Moscow and New Delhi have backed one another on the international diplomatic sphere for decades. But when Russia refused to support India’s bid to turn Pakistan into a pariah state this year, Moscow took a major step away from its friendship with New Delhi.
Russia and India may have signed large-scale military deals over the past seven decades, but when Moscow held its first-ever joint military drills this year with Pakistan – India’s biggest adversary – it was a sign that Russia is trying to send a message.
India remains mute about Russia-Pakistan friendship
Last week, Moscow and Islamabad held their first-ever foreign office consultations, leaving India understandably worried that Russia is further deepening its ties to Pakistan. During those consultations in Islamabad, Russian and Pakistani officials discussed a wide variety of regional issues and pointed out some areas of mutual interest, including economic cooperation.
According to the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistani and Russian officials “exchanged views on important global and regional developments.” The ministry added in the statement that “it was also decided that the next round of consultations will be convened in Moscow in 2017.”
Just last year, nobody in their right mind would believe that Russia could make friends with its Cold War rival Pakistan. But by selling four Mi-35M helicopters to Pakistan in 2015, Russia mutely announced huge changes in its geopolitical strategies. Then in October 2015, Russia and Pakistan held their first-ever joint military exercises labeled “Druzhba” (friendship), which sent India into frenzy. However, India remained mute about the drills for the most part because it still has a number of pending military deals with Russia it doesn’t want to lose over its resentment.
Russia has big plans for the CPEC
When Russia rejected India’s efforts in November to isolate Pakistan politically, tensions between Moscow and New Delhi reached their peak. While concerns are rising within the Indian government, Russia continues to warm up to Pakistan and has recently shown interest in Pakistan’s joint project with China, the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Earlier this month, Alexey Dedov, the Russian Ambassador to Pakistan, declared Russia’s strong support for the upcoming lucrative project. He also announced that Russia wants to link the Eurasian Economic Union project with the CPEC, a move that would further deteriorate relations between Moscow and New Delhi.
The CPEC is a sensitive issue for India because the project passes through the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region in Kashmir. By backing the project, Russia automatically declares its support for Pakistan’s position in the long-standing Kashmir issue, a major development in Russian-Indian relations that could end their seven-decade friendship once and for all.
Why is Russia losing appeal in India?
Russia has a number of reasons to show its teeth to India and threaten New Delhi to end their lucrative friendship. The two main reasons are China and the United States. Russia views China as its most prosperous ally. China, meanwhile, is a traditional ally of Pakistan and therefore an adversary of India. Warming up to Islamabad is a smart move to get closer to China, but that move comes at a price: abandoning its decades-long friendship with India.
As for the United States, siding with Pakistan and China and abandoning its ties with India goes perfectly in line with Russia’s efforts to bring down America’s global dominance. In fact, India must blame itself for losing a close and reliable friend in Russia. As the Cold War-era generation doesn’t hold much sway in India now, it’s far trendier for the newer generation to look up to America.
A survey by the Pew Research Center in 2015 revealed that a whopping 70% of Indians view the U.S. in a positive light, while only 43% view Russia favorably. The same survey showed that while only 8% of Indians are negative towards America, twice as many – 16% – view Russia negatively. Moscow cannot but lose appeal in a country that has been gravitating towards Russia’s biggest competitor in the world.
Russia makes its choice in favor of Pakistan
Even though Russia remains India’s key weapons supplier, there are noticeable tensions in relations between the two nations. And the closer Russia gets to Pakistan, the fewer chances there will be to repair Indian-Russian relations.
However, Russia doesn’t seem to understand all the criticism coming from India. Earlier this month, Zamir Kabulov, the Russian President’s Special Envoy on Afghanistan, reminded India that Moscow hasn’t made any complaints about New Delhi’s growing cooperation with Washington on matters of defense.
But many Indian officials responded to Kabulov by saying that Russia’s cooperation with Pakistan is a far cry from India’s cooperation with the U.S. That’s because Indian officials believe New Delhi’s cooperation with Washington doesn’t threaten Russia, as the U.S. is miles away, but Russia’s cooperation with Pakistan directly threatens India’s safety.
Although India hasn’t publicly complained much about Russia strengthening ties with Pakistan, it doesn’t make sense why New Delhi acts surprised suddenly. India’s unexpected turn toward the U.S. wasn’t met with much excitement in Moscow, which is why Russia’s efforts to find a new ally in the region shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Russia had a tough choice: to continue being friends with New Delhi and see their friendship gradually fade by the year, or look for a more reliably ally in the region. And Russia seems to have made a choice in favor of Pakistan, no matter how painful it may sound for India.
Moscow-New Delhi-Islamabad triangle
Still, New Delhi remains rather silent about the noticeable tensions with Moscow. However, it is still trying to convince Moscow that Pakistan is the foundation of terrorism in the region. Tensions between Russia and India are getting even worse now that Moscow declared that it views the Afghan Taliban as a national military-political movement in Afghanistan. Russia is interested in engaging the Taliban in an attempt to defeat ISIS in the region.
Russia continues to make it look as if its growing cooperation with Pakistan doesn’t threaten its close relations with India. But it’s still unclear how the triangle between Moscow, Islamabad and New Delhi could work, as the biggest enemies in South Asia have conflicting opinions about a number of regional issues.
Could Russia – standing between New Delhi and Islamabad and having an equally big influence on the two of them – help resolve some of the most pressing issues in the region, including terrorism and the Kashmir issue?
http://www.valuewalk.com/2016/12/russia-publicly-favors-pakistan-vs-india/
By Polina Tikhonova on December 21, 2016 10:33 am in Politics
ShareTweetPostFlip
India is worried that its nearly 70-year friendship with Russia is about to end. Russia is warming up to India’s biggest historical enemy, Pakistan, which inevitably has led to tensions between New Delhi and Moscow. So even though India and Russia were very close for nearly seven decades, Russia-Indian relations have come crashing down over the last two years.
Geopolitics is the reason the relationship between the two countries is deteriorating. Moscow and New Delhi have backed one another on the international diplomatic sphere for decades. But when Russia refused to support India’s bid to turn Pakistan into a pariah state this year, Moscow took a major step away from its friendship with New Delhi.
Russia and India may have signed large-scale military deals over the past seven decades, but when Moscow held its first-ever joint military drills this year with Pakistan – India’s biggest adversary – it was a sign that Russia is trying to send a message.
India remains mute about Russia-Pakistan friendship
Last week, Moscow and Islamabad held their first-ever foreign office consultations, leaving India understandably worried that Russia is further deepening its ties to Pakistan. During those consultations in Islamabad, Russian and Pakistani officials discussed a wide variety of regional issues and pointed out some areas of mutual interest, including economic cooperation.
According to the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistani and Russian officials “exchanged views on important global and regional developments.” The ministry added in the statement that “it was also decided that the next round of consultations will be convened in Moscow in 2017.”
Just last year, nobody in their right mind would believe that Russia could make friends with its Cold War rival Pakistan. But by selling four Mi-35M helicopters to Pakistan in 2015, Russia mutely announced huge changes in its geopolitical strategies. Then in October 2015, Russia and Pakistan held their first-ever joint military exercises labeled “Druzhba” (friendship), which sent India into frenzy. However, India remained mute about the drills for the most part because it still has a number of pending military deals with Russia it doesn’t want to lose over its resentment.
Russia has big plans for the CPEC
When Russia rejected India’s efforts in November to isolate Pakistan politically, tensions between Moscow and New Delhi reached their peak. While concerns are rising within the Indian government, Russia continues to warm up to Pakistan and has recently shown interest in Pakistan’s joint project with China, the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Earlier this month, Alexey Dedov, the Russian Ambassador to Pakistan, declared Russia’s strong support for the upcoming lucrative project. He also announced that Russia wants to link the Eurasian Economic Union project with the CPEC, a move that would further deteriorate relations between Moscow and New Delhi.
The CPEC is a sensitive issue for India because the project passes through the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region in Kashmir. By backing the project, Russia automatically declares its support for Pakistan’s position in the long-standing Kashmir issue, a major development in Russian-Indian relations that could end their seven-decade friendship once and for all.
Why is Russia losing appeal in India?
Russia has a number of reasons to show its teeth to India and threaten New Delhi to end their lucrative friendship. The two main reasons are China and the United States. Russia views China as its most prosperous ally. China, meanwhile, is a traditional ally of Pakistan and therefore an adversary of India. Warming up to Islamabad is a smart move to get closer to China, but that move comes at a price: abandoning its decades-long friendship with India.
As for the United States, siding with Pakistan and China and abandoning its ties with India goes perfectly in line with Russia’s efforts to bring down America’s global dominance. In fact, India must blame itself for losing a close and reliable friend in Russia. As the Cold War-era generation doesn’t hold much sway in India now, it’s far trendier for the newer generation to look up to America.
A survey by the Pew Research Center in 2015 revealed that a whopping 70% of Indians view the U.S. in a positive light, while only 43% view Russia favorably. The same survey showed that while only 8% of Indians are negative towards America, twice as many – 16% – view Russia negatively. Moscow cannot but lose appeal in a country that has been gravitating towards Russia’s biggest competitor in the world.
Russia makes its choice in favor of Pakistan
Even though Russia remains India’s key weapons supplier, there are noticeable tensions in relations between the two nations. And the closer Russia gets to Pakistan, the fewer chances there will be to repair Indian-Russian relations.
However, Russia doesn’t seem to understand all the criticism coming from India. Earlier this month, Zamir Kabulov, the Russian President’s Special Envoy on Afghanistan, reminded India that Moscow hasn’t made any complaints about New Delhi’s growing cooperation with Washington on matters of defense.
But many Indian officials responded to Kabulov by saying that Russia’s cooperation with Pakistan is a far cry from India’s cooperation with the U.S. That’s because Indian officials believe New Delhi’s cooperation with Washington doesn’t threaten Russia, as the U.S. is miles away, but Russia’s cooperation with Pakistan directly threatens India’s safety.
Although India hasn’t publicly complained much about Russia strengthening ties with Pakistan, it doesn’t make sense why New Delhi acts surprised suddenly. India’s unexpected turn toward the U.S. wasn’t met with much excitement in Moscow, which is why Russia’s efforts to find a new ally in the region shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Russia had a tough choice: to continue being friends with New Delhi and see their friendship gradually fade by the year, or look for a more reliably ally in the region. And Russia seems to have made a choice in favor of Pakistan, no matter how painful it may sound for India.
Moscow-New Delhi-Islamabad triangle
Still, New Delhi remains rather silent about the noticeable tensions with Moscow. However, it is still trying to convince Moscow that Pakistan is the foundation of terrorism in the region. Tensions between Russia and India are getting even worse now that Moscow declared that it views the Afghan Taliban as a national military-political movement in Afghanistan. Russia is interested in engaging the Taliban in an attempt to defeat ISIS in the region.
Russia continues to make it look as if its growing cooperation with Pakistan doesn’t threaten its close relations with India. But it’s still unclear how the triangle between Moscow, Islamabad and New Delhi could work, as the biggest enemies in South Asia have conflicting opinions about a number of regional issues.
Could Russia – standing between New Delhi and Islamabad and having an equally big influence on the two of them – help resolve some of the most pressing issues in the region, including terrorism and the Kashmir issue?
http://www.valuewalk.com/2016/12/russia-publicly-favors-pakistan-vs-india/
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India increasingly wary of rising Russia-Pakistan ties
21 December 2016 NILOVA ROY CHAUDHURY, RIR
With Russia and Pakistan holding their first ever foreign office consultations last week, India is worried and wary that its “time-tested” friend is looking more favourably at Pakistan, even accepting some of China’s views on that country.
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Russian Land Forces to hold drills with India, Pakistan in 2017
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Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. Source:Ali Mujtaba/wikipedia
New Delhi feels there is cause for concern in the increasingly growing friendship between Moscow and Islamabad, a concern compounded after Pakistan and Russia held their first ever foreign office consultations in Islamabad on December 14. The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that a wide range of regional issues and key areas of mutual interest including economic cooperation and connectivity were discussed.
"The two sides exchanged views on important global and regional developments,” the statement said. “It was also decided that the next round of consultations will be convened in Moscow in 2017,” it added.
Ahmad Hussain Dayo, Director General (West Asia), led the Pakistani delegation at the talks while Alexander V Sternik, third CIS department head at the Russian ministry of foreign affairs, led the delegation from Moscow.
Coming soon after the first ever joint military exercises between Russia and Pakistan and what New Delhi saw as attempts to block Indian efforts to “isolate” Islamabad politically, levels of concern are rising in the government and among India’s strategic community.
SCO could help improve India-Pakistan ties - Russian expert
After Moscow officially denied that it had shown any interest in the 46 billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Alexey Dedov, the Russian Ambassador to Pakistan, was cited by the Times of India as not only declaring strong support for the China-funded project but also announcing Russia's intention to link the Eurasian Economic Union project with the CPEC.
The CPEC, which will connect Gwadar in Pakistan's Balochistan province to Xinjiang in China, is a major irritant for India because it passes through the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
Pakistani media reports late last month quoted senior Pakistan naval officers as saying (November 25, 2016) that the Gwadar Port had become operational and that Chinese naval ships would be deployed there to ensure maritime security. They added that Russia had agreed “in secret discussions” to join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which starts in Gwadar. This was officially rebutted strongly by Russia.
Asked to comment on the issue, Vikas Swarup, spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “I would not like to comment on the Russia-Pakistan relationship. This is a third country relationship. Our own relationship with Russia remains very strong and has been further strengthened by the visit of President Putin,” to Goa in October.
However, senior Indian government officials told RIR that they were “uncomfortable” with some of Russia’s recent postures and overtures to Islamabad.
Zamir Kabulov, the Russian President’s Special Envoy on Afghanistan, said the Indian concern was “strange.”
Asked about India being concerned about rising Russian cooperation with Pakistan, Kabulov said, “The size of cooperation between Russia and India can’t be compared with the cooperation with Pakistan. It’s many hundred times more.”
Kabulov went on to say, “We cannot understand this jealousy because India has very close cooperation with America in the field that we used to be the almost only trusted partner (defence). Have you heard any complaints from Moscow about that?” he said in response to a question.
“So let’s look to the world as it is. We are living in a multipolar world. There is no threat to India-Russia relations. India is and will remain a major partner of the Russian Federation, along with China and other states,” Kabulov said.
A senior Indian official, however, disagreed with Kabulov’s assessment.
“The USA is miles away and not a neighbourhood threat,” the official said. “Our cooperation with the US does not threaten Russia. Russia’s defence cooperation and sales to Pakistan directly threatens us.”
Bhaskar Roy, a Strategic Analyst with the South Asia Analysis Group, was bitter in his assessment.
Ties with Pakistan not against India
“The sixth “Heart of Asia” conference, recently held in Amritsar, had Pakistan on the mat on terrorism. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was bitter and non-sparing of Pakistan. He rejected Pakistan’s offer of $500 million for reconstruction of Afghanistan, and advised them to use the money to counter terrorist activities emanating from Pakistan. Ghani also referred to a statement by Taliban leader Mullah Rahmatullah Kakazada saying that if the Taliban did not get safe havens in Pakistan, they would not last even a month.”
Roy went on to say, “Russia is beginning to prove somewhat undependable regarding Pakistan. According to some news, rise of Islamophiles in the Russian government, like Zamir Kabulov have dented the ranks of the Indophiles. Kabulov is a former Russian ambassador to Afghanistan. Currently, he is Presidential Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and head of the foreign ministry’s Asia and Middle East Department.”
“The Islamophiles in Russia are arguing that joining the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will give Russia an opening, a path to the warm waters of the Arabian Sea, the Gulf and the Indian Ocean-an objective that Russia has been seeking for most parts of the last century. Of immediate importance is the threat of the Daesh emanating now from Khorasan and moving into Central Asia and Russia. A trilateral meeting between Russia-China-Pakistan is scheduled to be held soon. The Russian Islamophiles may influence President Putin to do a Faustian bargain,” he said.
Responding to a question about the Russian decision to speak with the Taliban, the MEA spokesman said, “In so far as the Taliban is concerned, they have to respect the internationally agreed red lines. They have to give up terrorism and violence, sever all ties with Al Qaeda, agree to follow democratic norms and not do anything which will erode the gains of the last 15 years in Afghanistan. But ultimately, it is for the Government of Afghanistan to decide whom to talk to and how.”
As India tries hard to isolate Pakistan for its role in actively fomenting terrorism in the region and beyond, New Delhi feels that Russia is moving toward greater acceptance of that country’s role, much like China has done.
http://in.rbth.com/world/2016/12/21/india-increasingly-wary-of-rising-russia-pakistan-ties_664348
21 December 2016 NILOVA ROY CHAUDHURY, RIR
With Russia and Pakistan holding their first ever foreign office consultations last week, India is worried and wary that its “time-tested” friend is looking more favourably at Pakistan, even accepting some of China’s views on that country.
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Russian Land Forces to hold drills with India, Pakistan in 2017
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PAKISTAN, RUSSIA,INDIA, GEOPOLITICS
Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. Source:Ali Mujtaba/wikipedia
New Delhi feels there is cause for concern in the increasingly growing friendship between Moscow and Islamabad, a concern compounded after Pakistan and Russia held their first ever foreign office consultations in Islamabad on December 14. The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that a wide range of regional issues and key areas of mutual interest including economic cooperation and connectivity were discussed.
"The two sides exchanged views on important global and regional developments,” the statement said. “It was also decided that the next round of consultations will be convened in Moscow in 2017,” it added.
Ahmad Hussain Dayo, Director General (West Asia), led the Pakistani delegation at the talks while Alexander V Sternik, third CIS department head at the Russian ministry of foreign affairs, led the delegation from Moscow.
Coming soon after the first ever joint military exercises between Russia and Pakistan and what New Delhi saw as attempts to block Indian efforts to “isolate” Islamabad politically, levels of concern are rising in the government and among India’s strategic community.
SCO could help improve India-Pakistan ties - Russian expert
After Moscow officially denied that it had shown any interest in the 46 billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Alexey Dedov, the Russian Ambassador to Pakistan, was cited by the Times of India as not only declaring strong support for the China-funded project but also announcing Russia's intention to link the Eurasian Economic Union project with the CPEC.
The CPEC, which will connect Gwadar in Pakistan's Balochistan province to Xinjiang in China, is a major irritant for India because it passes through the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
Pakistani media reports late last month quoted senior Pakistan naval officers as saying (November 25, 2016) that the Gwadar Port had become operational and that Chinese naval ships would be deployed there to ensure maritime security. They added that Russia had agreed “in secret discussions” to join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which starts in Gwadar. This was officially rebutted strongly by Russia.
Asked to comment on the issue, Vikas Swarup, spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “I would not like to comment on the Russia-Pakistan relationship. This is a third country relationship. Our own relationship with Russia remains very strong and has been further strengthened by the visit of President Putin,” to Goa in October.
However, senior Indian government officials told RIR that they were “uncomfortable” with some of Russia’s recent postures and overtures to Islamabad.
Zamir Kabulov, the Russian President’s Special Envoy on Afghanistan, said the Indian concern was “strange.”
Asked about India being concerned about rising Russian cooperation with Pakistan, Kabulov said, “The size of cooperation between Russia and India can’t be compared with the cooperation with Pakistan. It’s many hundred times more.”
Kabulov went on to say, “We cannot understand this jealousy because India has very close cooperation with America in the field that we used to be the almost only trusted partner (defence). Have you heard any complaints from Moscow about that?” he said in response to a question.
“So let’s look to the world as it is. We are living in a multipolar world. There is no threat to India-Russia relations. India is and will remain a major partner of the Russian Federation, along with China and other states,” Kabulov said.
A senior Indian official, however, disagreed with Kabulov’s assessment.
“The USA is miles away and not a neighbourhood threat,” the official said. “Our cooperation with the US does not threaten Russia. Russia’s defence cooperation and sales to Pakistan directly threatens us.”
Bhaskar Roy, a Strategic Analyst with the South Asia Analysis Group, was bitter in his assessment.
Ties with Pakistan not against India
“The sixth “Heart of Asia” conference, recently held in Amritsar, had Pakistan on the mat on terrorism. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was bitter and non-sparing of Pakistan. He rejected Pakistan’s offer of $500 million for reconstruction of Afghanistan, and advised them to use the money to counter terrorist activities emanating from Pakistan. Ghani also referred to a statement by Taliban leader Mullah Rahmatullah Kakazada saying that if the Taliban did not get safe havens in Pakistan, they would not last even a month.”
Roy went on to say, “Russia is beginning to prove somewhat undependable regarding Pakistan. According to some news, rise of Islamophiles in the Russian government, like Zamir Kabulov have dented the ranks of the Indophiles. Kabulov is a former Russian ambassador to Afghanistan. Currently, he is Presidential Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and head of the foreign ministry’s Asia and Middle East Department.”
“The Islamophiles in Russia are arguing that joining the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will give Russia an opening, a path to the warm waters of the Arabian Sea, the Gulf and the Indian Ocean-an objective that Russia has been seeking for most parts of the last century. Of immediate importance is the threat of the Daesh emanating now from Khorasan and moving into Central Asia and Russia. A trilateral meeting between Russia-China-Pakistan is scheduled to be held soon. The Russian Islamophiles may influence President Putin to do a Faustian bargain,” he said.
Responding to a question about the Russian decision to speak with the Taliban, the MEA spokesman said, “In so far as the Taliban is concerned, they have to respect the internationally agreed red lines. They have to give up terrorism and violence, sever all ties with Al Qaeda, agree to follow democratic norms and not do anything which will erode the gains of the last 15 years in Afghanistan. But ultimately, it is for the Government of Afghanistan to decide whom to talk to and how.”
As India tries hard to isolate Pakistan for its role in actively fomenting terrorism in the region and beyond, New Delhi feels that Russia is moving toward greater acceptance of that country’s role, much like China has done.
http://in.rbth.com/world/2016/12/21/india-increasingly-wary-of-rising-russia-pakistan-ties_664348
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Minister of Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Washington September 22, 2015. (Reuters File Photo)
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...a-next-week/story-wuoobDdqE5mK6mulqQCd7I.html
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will travel to Russia next week to attend the third Eastern Economic Forum in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok.
Swaraj will travel to Russia at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev, according to a statement issued by the Indian Embassy here.
During her visit from September 5 to 7, Swaraj will participate in the opening ceremony of the Forum on September 6 as well as hold bilateral meetings with Trutnev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Governors of some of the Far Eastern Regions, among other engagements, the statement added.
Sitharaman, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, will be accompanied by a business delegation.
During her visit from September 5 to 8, Sitharaman will participate in the high level India-Russia Business Dialogue as well as have bilateral meetings with Russian Ministers, including the Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov.
She will also participate in a panel discussion and preside over the launch ceremony of the ‘Russia Desk’ in Invest India during the Forum.
The ministers’ visit “reflects the importance attached by India to emerging opportunities in the Russian Far East, and to its strategic partnership with Russia,” the statement said.
The high-level Indian participation in the Forum follows the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Guest of Honour at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June.
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