President of the Russian Federation H.E. Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to India, New Delhi on 6 December 2021 for the 21st India–Russia Annual Summit.
-21st India – Russia summit
i.Putin and PM Modi held the 21st India-Russia summit, to further enhance the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries.
- The Annual Summit was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19. Both sides exchanged views over the bilateral cooperation over COVID-19 especially with respect to ‘Sputnik-V’ vaccine.
- The summit marks the first face to face meeting between Putin and PM Modi, after the meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in Brasilia in November 2019.
ii.Both of them discussed things related to terrorism and drug trafficking, including the situation in Afghanistan.
iii.The Russian side has welcomed the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan of National Security Advisors/Secretaries of Security Council in New Delhi (i.e. the Delhi Declaration on Afghanistan).
- Background: On 10th November 2021, the 3rd Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan was hosted by India in New Delhi, where the “Delhi Declaration” was adopted by 8 countries to promote terrorism free, inclusive government in Afghanistan.
iv.Both countries welcomed the signing of a new Long-Term Program for Military and Technical Cooperation for the period 2021-2031.
Note – 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit to be held in Russia in the year 2022.
-1st 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between Russian and Indian Ministers
The first 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between Russia and India at the level of Foreign and Defence Ministers was held at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, Delhi.
i.External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had discussions with their Russian counterparts Sergey Lavrov and Sergey Shoigu at the dialogue under the framework of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC).
ii.The focus of the dialogue is on ‘political and defence issues of mutual interest’ and it is expected to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
iii.Both the countries discussed key bilateral, regional and international issues, including the situation in Afghanistan post-Taliban takeover, threats emanating from terror groups, protection of human rights of minorities, women and children in Afghanistan.
iv.Bilateral Trade: The bilateral trade was increased by about 38 percent in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. Both nations intend to achieve the trade target of USD 30 billion by 2025.
-28 MoUs inked between India and Russia on defence cooperation for 10 years
i.Indian PM and Russian President signed 28 MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) across a wide range of sectors including trade, energy, culture, intellectual property accountancy and education.
ii.In addition to the 28 MoUs, a programme of cooperation in the field of defence for the next 10 years from 2021 to 2031 was also signed.
- The agreements include 9 government-to-government and other business-to-business agreements, it also included public sector units.
iii.India has also begun to receive S-400 missiles from Russia and Russia has also started delivering the S-400 missile systems to India in December 2021.
- The S-400 is a mobile long-range surface-to-air missile (LR-SAM) system developed by a Russian state-owned enterprise Almaz-Antey.
iv.Both nations also signed an agreement for the joint production of 6,01,427 assault rifles AK-203 through Indo-Russia Rifles Pvt Ltd, in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi (in the town of Korwa) under the military-technical cooperation arrangement for 10 years (2021-31).
- The need for the commencement of negotiations on Trade Agreement between India and The Eurasian Economic Union was also underscored by both countries.
-India, Russia sign pact to deepen space cooperation
India and Russia signed an agreement at the India-Russia summit to deepen collaboration in the space sector including in the human spaceflight programme, and for cooperation in the building as well as operation of launch vehicles.
- The agreement also intends to enhance the cooperation between the Russian State Space Corporation ‘Roscosmos’ and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) including in the human spaceflight programmes and satellite navigation.
List of MoUs Signed Between India and Russia:
i.Roadmap for Science, Technology & Innovation Cooperation between the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Indian Ministry of Science & Technology.
ii.Intellectual Property – Memorandum of Cooperation between the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Russian Federation.
iii.Geoscience – MoU between Joint Stock Company Rosgeologia (ROSGEO), a legal entity incorporated under the laws of the Russian federation and Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Mines.
iv.PROTOCOL on introduction of amendments to the Merchant Shipping Agreement between the Government of India and Russia.
v.Cultural Exchange Programme between the Ministry of Culture of India and Russia for 2021-2024.
vi.PROTOCOL between Department of State Support of the Art and Folk Creativity of the Ministry of Culture of the Russia and Indian Council for Cultural Relations under the Ministry of External Affairs for 2022-2023.
vii.PROTOCOL on allotment of land plots for allocation of Consular offices of India in the Russian Federation.
viii.MoU between Opto-electronics Factory, Dehradun and JSC Rosoboronexport.
ix.Cooperation Agreement between Reserve Bank of India and the Bank of Russia in the field of responding to cyber attacks.
x.MoU between ICAI (The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) and IPAR (The Institute of Professional Accountants of Russia).
xi.MoU for Cooperation in the Power sector between the NTPC Ltd., Government of India Enterprise and Inter Rao- Export LLC, Russia
xii.MoU between SAIL and Russian Company SSC FSUE TsNIIchermet im. I. P. Bardin
xiii.MoU between JSPL (Jindal Steel and Power Limited) and Russian Company SSC FSUE TsNIIchermet im. I. P. Bardin
xiv.MoU between JSW Steel Limited and Russian Company SSC FSUE TsNIIchermet im. I. P. Bardin
xv.Statement of Intent of Collaboration between IOCL and SIBUR
xvi.MoU Between National Sports University, Imphal and Russian International Olympic University (RIOU), Sochi, Russia
xvii.MoU between Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, West Bengal and A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Centre of Marine Biology of the Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (NSCMB FEB RAS)
xviii.MoU between Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India and Southern Federal University, Russia.
xix.Agreement for Academic Collaboration between University of Delhi and Skoltech University, Moscow.
xx.Agreement between Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M.Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University) and University of Delhi.
xxi.MoU between Uttar Pradesh FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) and BCCI, Russia
xxii.MoU on manpower supplies between Magic Billion and Volshebny Milliard
xxiii.Statement of Intent of Collaboration between IOCL and Gazpromneft for VGO Hydrocracking Technology, Catalytic Iso-dewaxing.
xxiv.MoU between Rosneft and OVL led Indian Consortium on Training Cooperation.
xxv.MoU between Indian Trade Promotion Organisation and Roscongress Foundation for bilateral Trade Cooperation
xxvi.Crude Oil Supply agreement between Rosneft and Indian Oil Corporation Limited
Key Points:
i.4 Indian astronauts have already undergone generic space flight training in Russia as part of the Gaganyaan programme, India’s 1st manned space flight mission.
- The contract for the training of Indian officers was signed between the ISRO and Russian launch service provider Glavcosmos in June 2019.
ii.Both sides intend to strengthen cooperation within the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS). They have also noted successful cooperation in the setting up of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh.
iii.Both noted about the collaboration between the oil and gas companies of the two countries, including between JSC Rosneft Oil Company and Oil and Gas Public Sector Undertakings of India in implementing the Vankorneft, Sakhalin-1 and Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha projects in Russia, and Nayara Energy Limited’s oil refinery in India.
Note – Putin invited PM Modi to visit Russia next year to participate in the 22nd Annual Russian-Indian Summit.
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About Russia:
Capital – Moscow
Currency – Russian ruble
President – Vladimir Putin
Prime Minister – Mikhail Mishustin
