Sansad TV Perspective: India - Russia Bilateral Relations

In the series Sansad TV Perspective, we bring you an analysis of the discussion featured on the insightful programme ‘Perspective’ on Sansad TV, on various important topics affecting India and also the world. This analysis will help you immensely for the IAS exam, especially the mains exam, where a well-rounded understanding of topics is a prerequisite for writing answers that fetch good marks.

In this article, we feature the discussion on the topic: India – Russia Bilateral Relations.

Anchor: Vishal Dahiya

Guests:

1. Anil Trigunayat, Former Ambassador
2. Pritam Pal Chaudhuri, Foreign Affairs Editor, Hindustan Times
3. Fred Weir, Expert on Russian affairs, Moscow 

Context – Visit of External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar to Moscow for bilateral talks.

• Dr Jaishankar met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov and discussed regional and international developments. 
• The visit comes ahead of the G20 Summit in Bali where the top leaders of Russia will come face to face with Western leaders for the first time since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

Introduction –

• The development of India-Russia relations has been a key pillar of India’s Foreign Policy.
• India – Russia’s  ‘time tested’ and ‘trust based’ relationship is strong and continues to grow. 
• EAM S. Jaishankar’s visit to Moscow comes amidst speculation that India will mediate between Russia and Ukraine. Analysts and geo-political experts opine that India is in a favourable position to do so. 
• Both sides also discussed regional issues including the situation in Afghanistan and West Asia as well.

India & Russia Bilateral Relations –

• The India and Russia ties have been a longstanding relation. Since the signing of the “Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership” in October 2000 (during the visit of President Putin), India-Russia ties have acquired enhanced levels of cooperation in almost all areas of the bilateral relationship including political, defence, security, trade & economy and science and technology.
• Under the India-Russia Strategic Partnership, several institutionalised dialogue mechanisms operate at both political and official levels to ensure regular interaction and follow-up on cooperation activities. During the visit of the Russian President to India in December 2010, the Strategic Partnership was elevated to the level of a “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.”
• The annual summit meeting between the Prime Minister of India and the President of the Russian Federation is the highest institutionalised dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between India and Russia. 
  • So far 21 Annual Summits have taken place alternatively in India and Russia. The last Summit was held on December 6, 2021, in New Delhi.
• Energy ties with Moscow have worked to India’s advantage; Indian imports of Russian oil have grown more than 20% in the past year. India has emerged as Russia’s largest oil customer after China following a boycott by western buyers. Since Russia is the world’s second-largest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, international oil prices spiked to record levels since 2008. 

Russia-Ukraine War –

• India has reiterated its commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, to international law and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.
• For the most part, India has maintained a position of neutrality on the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. 
• India has advocated a return to diplomacy and dialogue. India has intervened in specific cases with Russia to prevent it from endangering the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant (in Ukraine) or to allow the export of Ukraine food grains.
• India has made its disapproval of Russia’s action clear even if it has refrained from voting against it on substantive resolutions in United Nations forums, including the Security Council. The maximum extent that India has gone to is of Mr Modi openly telling Russian President Vladimir Putin in Samarkand (September 2022) on the sidelines of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) Summit, that the present age was not one of war.
• On his visit to Moscow, the EAM, Shri Jaishankar said, “the global economy is simply too interdependent for a significant conflict anywhere, not to have major consequences elsewhere”. There are growing concerns about energy and food security from the conflict that are coming on top of severe stresses due to two years of the covid pandemic. The global south, especially, is feeling the pain acutely. 

G-7 Imposed Price Cap Mechanism on Russian Oil –

• The price cap mechanism is designed in a manner so as to stop Russia from selling as much oil as it does now once the European Union halts imports without resorting to the capped price or significant discounts from current prices.
• The G7 nations and Australia are in coalition to impose the price cap mechanism on Russian oil. The G7 nations include Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada and Japan. 
• It was first promoted by the US and essentially calls for an embargo on Russian oil to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
• The G7 nations want Russian oil to stay in the market so that developing countries like India and China can purchase it. The price cap is intended to target undue profits made by Russia which has launched an invasive attack on Ukraine, which is known to be close to NATO.

India’s Stance –

About the G7 plan, the EAM said that India has to look after its own interests and in that respect, India – Russia relationship has worked to the nation’s advantage.

Read all the previous Sansad TV Perspective articles in the link.

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