"India's role as important international partner for Russia will further increase", Russian Envoy Alipov

New Delhi: India and Russia have completed 30 years of signing the treaty of friendship and cooperation. In a statement released by Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov said that India's role as an important partner for Russia will further increase.

"Certainly, in the current circumstances, India's role as an important international partner for Russia will further increase. Much has been done to strengthen our partnership, but more needs to be done to meet the demands of global change," Denis Alipov said in the statement released by Russian Embassy in India.

He further stated, "Helping on this path is the wisdom of past generations, who for many years incorporated the foundation and principles of the relationship into the bilateral legal basis. Certainly, the solid foundation in this regard is the 1993 Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation , according to which Russia is building ties with India in the interests of the people of both the countries, global peace, security and sustainable development."

Russian Envoy Denis Alipov said that the treaty signed on January 28, 1993, marked the beginning of a new phase in the development of India-Russia ties. He stressed that the principles embodied in the treaty are the basis of the traditionally close cooperation between the two nations.

Alipov called it important for bilateral and international agenda and stressed that the two nations support the principle of mutual respect, the development of equal and mutually beneficial relations, and the strengthening of the role of the United Nations, living in accordance with its Charter and international law, according to the statement released by the Russian Embassy in India.

According to Russian Envoy Denis Alipov, the 1993 treaty marks the beginning of a comprehensive bilateral legal basis, which now includes about 100 intergovernmental and around 60 interdepartmental documents, as per the news report. He said that these pacts do not include agreements made between the non-state and private sectors. A large number of these documents enrich the distinctive achievements of the past era.

Alipov stressed that these documents include the India-Russia Strategic Partnership of 2000, he said is one of the first such documents in the world, according to the statement. Alipov in the statement said that India and Russia continue to hold talks at various levels, including the annual leaders meeting. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have held a series of telephonic conversations on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Russian-Indian political relations in 2022.

PM Modi and Putin held meeting on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand in September last year. He stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Russia sanctions did not have a major impact on trade between two nations. Denis Alipov stated that India and Russia witnessed a huge rise in mutual trade, which as per Indian statistics is over USD 30 billion. A 36-fold increase in the import of Russian oil helped in reaching these figures.

The cooperation between India and Russia in the military-technical sector remains huge. The production of T-90 tanks, Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter jets, AK-203 assault rifles, and other weapons in India is in full compliance with the requirements of the government program "Make in India," according to the statement released by Russian Embassy in India.

Russian Envoy stated that the joint project on the creation of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles can be called ideal. Russia and India continue to work on all previously concluded agreements, including the pact for the supply of S-400 missile systems.

Space, scientific and technological cooperation continue to remain a priority of India and Russia. The two nations continue to hold cooperation in the fields of quantum and biotechnology, artificial intelligence, fundamental and applied physics and medical science.

According to Alipov, a key part of the multilateral partnership between Russia and India is extensive human relations. The cultural festivals held in both countries are very popular and called the Festival of Russian Culture held in November 2022 in New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata a clear example of it. He called the initiatives between the two nations in education and inter-university exchange sectors very important.