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India, Russia work to meet Afghanistan's defence wishlist
NEW DELHI: India and Russia are working on an understanding by which New Delhi would be able to meet Afghanistan's defence wishlist. Both countries are in talks whereby Russia could provide some of the items on Hamid Karzai's list while India could foot the bill. This may not be the best solution to the issue, but there is a greater appreciation of Afghanistan's security imperatives after Nato forces pull out later this year.
The conversation, which involves Afghanistan as well, is tackling a couple of issues. India cannot possibly meet Karzai's wishlist which was presented to Manmohan Singh after New Delhi had promised to take care of Afghanistan's defence needs in a strategic partnership agreement. India itself being the world's greatest importer of weapons, it would be ambitious for India to take on the defence supplies to Afghanistan as well.
Afghanistan has a history of familiarity with Russian weapons and defence systems. It has indicated that it would be more comfortable with Russian systems than others. It has also been proposed that some weapons could also be sourced from central Asian countries which also use Russian systems.
However, no agreement is on the cards yet, and probably unlikely to be until Afghanistan completes a bilateral security agreement (BSA) with the US. Interestingly, the US was insistent, until some time ago, that Karzai should sign the BSA. But Karzai has stalled on the signing of the agreement possibly for a greater domestic leverage until elections in April.
Meanwhile as a first step, India and Russia have decided to revive a weapons maintenance factory in Afghanistan. Afghan ambassador Shaida Abdali was quoted as saying recently, "India and Russia will jointly help revive the maintenance factory. Experts have already met and are discussing the details. We will need about 120 officers for the training facility, and Indians can pitch in."
With Afghanistan's future security becoming uncertain after NATO pullout, India and Russia are looking at a revival of their 1990s' cooperation with the avowed intention of keeping the Talibanout. Russia has also been talking to Pakistan as the growing threat from Islamist jihadis in Russia and its neihbourhood has had an impact on Moscow's thinking.
Similarly, the Uighur problem in Xinjiang has affected the way China thinks about Afghanistan, and its own role there post 2014. Last week, Nehchal Sandhu, deputy national security adviser led a group of Indian officials to meet with Chinese and Russian officials in Beijing for the second round of talks on Afghanistan. The three countries had started this conversation from January 2013 when India was represented by Shivshankar Menon.
Questioned, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, "As a close neighbour of Afghanistan, China is ready to work with countries in the region and the international community to support the peaceful reconstruction and reconciliation process in Afghanistan and jointly maintain peace, stability and development of Afghanistan and the whole region."
China has, however, maintained its balancing act by holding a similar dialogue with Pakistan and Russia at the same time.
Link - India, Russia work to meet Afghanistan's defence wishlist - The Times of India
NEW DELHI: India and Russia are working on an understanding by which New Delhi would be able to meet Afghanistan's defence wishlist. Both countries are in talks whereby Russia could provide some of the items on Hamid Karzai's list while India could foot the bill. This may not be the best solution to the issue, but there is a greater appreciation of Afghanistan's security imperatives after Nato forces pull out later this year.
The conversation, which involves Afghanistan as well, is tackling a couple of issues. India cannot possibly meet Karzai's wishlist which was presented to Manmohan Singh after New Delhi had promised to take care of Afghanistan's defence needs in a strategic partnership agreement. India itself being the world's greatest importer of weapons, it would be ambitious for India to take on the defence supplies to Afghanistan as well.
Afghanistan has a history of familiarity with Russian weapons and defence systems. It has indicated that it would be more comfortable with Russian systems than others. It has also been proposed that some weapons could also be sourced from central Asian countries which also use Russian systems.
However, no agreement is on the cards yet, and probably unlikely to be until Afghanistan completes a bilateral security agreement (BSA) with the US. Interestingly, the US was insistent, until some time ago, that Karzai should sign the BSA. But Karzai has stalled on the signing of the agreement possibly for a greater domestic leverage until elections in April.
Meanwhile as a first step, India and Russia have decided to revive a weapons maintenance factory in Afghanistan. Afghan ambassador Shaida Abdali was quoted as saying recently, "India and Russia will jointly help revive the maintenance factory. Experts have already met and are discussing the details. We will need about 120 officers for the training facility, and Indians can pitch in."
With Afghanistan's future security becoming uncertain after NATO pullout, India and Russia are looking at a revival of their 1990s' cooperation with the avowed intention of keeping the Talibanout. Russia has also been talking to Pakistan as the growing threat from Islamist jihadis in Russia and its neihbourhood has had an impact on Moscow's thinking.
Similarly, the Uighur problem in Xinjiang has affected the way China thinks about Afghanistan, and its own role there post 2014. Last week, Nehchal Sandhu, deputy national security adviser led a group of Indian officials to meet with Chinese and Russian officials in Beijing for the second round of talks on Afghanistan. The three countries had started this conversation from January 2013 when India was represented by Shivshankar Menon.
Questioned, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, "As a close neighbour of Afghanistan, China is ready to work with countries in the region and the international community to support the peaceful reconstruction and reconciliation process in Afghanistan and jointly maintain peace, stability and development of Afghanistan and the whole region."
China has, however, maintained its balancing act by holding a similar dialogue with Pakistan and Russia at the same time.
Link - India, Russia work to meet Afghanistan's defence wishlist - The Times of India
