By Anirban Bhaumik
Benaulim (GOA), Oct 16 (DHNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday invoked the “old friendship” between Delhi and Moscow to subtly caution Russian President Vladimir Putin against scaling up Russia’s defence ties with Pakistan.
After he and Putin witnessed the signing of three major defence deals and 13 other pacts, Modi referred to an old adage in Russia, which meant: “An old friend is better than two new friends”.
One of the big-ticket defence deals inked on Saturday is for manufacturing Russian Ka-226T multi-role helicopters in India. Another agreement was for the purchase and manufacture of four more Russian 1135.6 stealth frigates by and in India. Besides, a pact was also signed for India’s procurement of S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems.
Modi apparently alluded to the decades-old and time-tested relation between Moscow and New Delhi to tacitly convey India’s concerns over the growing defence ties between Russia and Pakistan. His words were also intended to send out a reassuring message to Russia as India’s growing ties with the US too, of late, caused unease in Moscow.
The twin message was not lost on Putin, who smiled as Modi referred to the adage while reading out a statement just after he and the Russian president held the 17th annual summit here. The summit came just after the first-ever military drill between Russia and Pakistan raised hackles in India. India made no bones about its unease and, ahead of the summit, clearly indicated that the prime minister would convey New Delhi’s concerns to Russian president.
The joint statement issued after Modi-Putin meeting, however, noted that the “special and privileged strategic partnership” between India and Russia was rooted in “longstanding mutual trust, characterised by unmatched reciprocal support to each other’s core interests and unique people-to-people affinities”.
New Delhi also lauded Moscow’s “unequivocal condemnation” of the Uri attack. Russia was not only quick to condemn the terror attack, but was also first to endorse India’s assertion that the terrorists had come from areas under control of Pakistan.
Moscow also justified Indian Army’s “surgical strikes” on terror camps. “Russia’s clear stand on the need to combat terrorism mirrors our own,” said the prime minister.
Modi said that both he and Putin had affirmed the “need for zero tolerance in dealing with terrorists and their supporters.” He added that India and Russia had similar views “on the situation in Afghanistan and turmoil in West Asia”. The summit left New Delhi reassured that Russia’s defence ties with Pakistan would not go against the security interests of India.