Latest news with #India-RussiaSummit
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Time-tested ties of friendship, says Russia as NSA Doval meets President Putin
NEW DELHI: India and Russia on Thursday stressed their commitment to a strategic partnership as National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met with President Vladimir Putin and senior Russian officials in Moscow, a day after US President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on New Delhi due to its purchases of Russian oil. NSA Ajit Doval met President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin after his wide-ranging discussions with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu. (X/RusEmbIndia/FILE Photo) Doval's visit to Russia, which was previously scheduled, coincided with Trump's unveiling of the punitive 25% tariff on India, in addition to a 25% levy on Indian goods that took effect on Thursday. Doval's discussions with the top Russian leadership centred on strengthening strategic and economic cooperation between the two countries. Doval met Putin at the Kremlin after his wide-ranging discussions with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu. Doval and Shoigu emphasised the importance of the 'very special relationship' between India and Russia amid uncertainties on the global stage - an obvious reference to the churn created by the policies of the Trump administration. 'We highly value our strategic partnership,' Doval said. 'I think you [Shoigu] said the world is passing through a very tumultuous situation. There is some unpredictability, there are some uncertainties, and in an environment like this, our old strategic and privileged partnership has got a very special role.' Shoigu noted that Russia and India are linked by 'strong, time-tested ties of friendship', and said a priority for Moscow is strengthening the strategic partnership with India based on 'mutual respect, trust, equal consideration of each other's interests and the desire to promote a unifying agenda'. He said, 'We are committed to further active cooperation to form a new, more just and sustainable world order, ensure the rule of international law and jointly combat modern challenges and threats.' Regular dialogue on bilateral and regional issues between the Security Councils of the two sides contributes to taking India-Russia ties to a higher level amid the 'current complicated international environment', Shoigu said. Among the issues discussed between Doval and Shoigu was Putin's proposed visit to India for the annual India-Russia Summit. Doval noted that dates for the visit 'are almost finalised' but didn't give details. These summits have given new direction to bilateral ties and ongoing discussions are aimed at firming up deliverables for the forthcoming summit, he said. People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that the two sides have been in talks on arranging Putin's visit, though no specific dates or timeframe has been locked down so far. Doval also thanked the Russian government and Putin for its support when India 'faced a gruesome terrorist' at Pahalgam. 'The Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] has specially asked me to convey his thanks. We are committed, as you are committed, to fight against terrorism with all our might,' he said. Putin was among the first world leaders to condemn the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that killed 26 civilians. Russian-origin military hardware, including the S-400 air defence system, Su-30 combat jets and the BrahMos cruise missile, was extensively used by India in hostilities that erupted with Pakistan after New Delhi launched Operation Sindoor to target terror infrastructure on Pakistani soil. A readout from the Russian side said Doval and Shoigu discussed ways to strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership and 'emphasised the importance of joint efforts in preparation of the bilateral summit by the end of this year'. They also discussed cooperation in multilateral formats and exchanged views on issues of international security, the readout said. External affairs minister S Jaishankar is also expected to visit Russia in the third week of August for a meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC), the main mechanism overseeing trade and economic cooperation. Both visits have assumed greater significance in view of the Trump administration's targeting of India-Russia ties in energy and defence. Before imposing the additional 25% tariff on India on Wednesday, Trump repeatedly criticised India on social media for purchasing Russian energy. He claimed India is buying 'massive amounts' of Russian oil and profiting by selling much of the crude on the open market. 'They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine,' he said. India responded to the additional tariff by saying it would protect its national interests in the face of the 'unfair, unjustified and unreasonable' move. The external affairs ministry said it was 'extremely unfortunate' that the US had imposed an additional tariff on India 'for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest' – a reference to the purchases of Russian energy by China, Turkiye and EU member states that haven't been similarly targeted by the Trump administration.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Russian Prez Putin to visit India for annual summit, but dates not finalised yet
NEW DELHI: A specific timeframe has not been finalised for Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposed visit to India for an annual summit, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives Russian President Vladimir Putin for a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi in December 2021. (PTI FILE IMAGE) Putin's visit figured during National Security Adviser Ajit Doval's meetings with senior Russian officials in Moscow on Thursday. Russia's state-run media inaccurately cited Doval as saying that Putin would travel to India in late August, the people said on condition of anonymity. 'The NSA, during his visit to Moscow, said that the dates of President Putin's visit to India are being worked out,' one of the people cited above said. 'The time of end-August being reported is incorrect,' the person said. Doval did not indicate a specific date or time during his engagements in Moscow, the people said. Putin is expected to travel to India this year for the annual India-Russia Summit, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow for the summit in 2024. Though the two sides have been involved in initial preparations for the visit, they have so far not finalised any specific timeframe for the trip, the people said. Doval is in Moscow for meetings with senior Russian officials to strengthen security and economic ties. The trip had been scheduled earlier but gained importance following US President Donald Trump's decision on Wednesday to impose an additional 25% punitive tariff on India for purchasing Russian oil. External affairs minister S Jaishankar is also expected to travel to Russia in the third week of August for a meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC), the primary mechanism for overseeing trade and economic cooperation.
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Putin likely to visit Delhi after 4 years as India-Russia Summit 2025 eyes energy, defence, Arctic ties
New Delhi: India will host the next edition of the annual India-Russia Summit later this year, paving the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin's first visit to New Delhi since 2021. The summit agenda is expected to include defence industry collaboration , energy ties amid fresh EU sanctions, civil nuclear partnership , Arctic cooperation , and a joint roadmap for high-tech sector cooperation , according to people familiar with the matter. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category PGDM Leadership Data Science Public Policy Degree Healthcare Digital Marketing Management others Data Analytics Data Science Others healthcare Product Management Finance Technology Artificial Intelligence Operations Management Cybersecurity MBA Project Management MCA Design Thinking CXO Skills you'll gain: Financial Analysis & Decision Making Quantitative & Analytical Skills Organizational Management & Leadership Innovation & Entrepreneurship Duration: 24 Months IMI Delhi Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Online) Starts on Sep 1, 2024 Get Details "India-Russia Summit is important. The last summit was held in Moscow. It is time for us to host it in Delhi. Dates will be worked out mutually," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Putin last spoke ahead of Operation Sindoor, where the Russian leader backed India's counter-terror measures. Russian platforms like the S-400 missile defence system and Indo-Russian BrahMos joint venture played a significant role in neutralising Pakistani military assets, largely of Chinese origin. If Modi attends the SCO Summit in China, the two leaders could also meet there. Putin, who has limited his international travel since the Ukraine war, is likely to visit India in the last quarter of 2025. Live Events Food security may also feature prominently. Putin recently said that, following Modi's request, Russia increased fertiliser exports to India. Other key areas of discussion may include: Expanding Indian presence in the resource-rich Arctic region and finalising a second site for a Russian-built nuclear power plant Meanwhile, India reaffirmed its stance on energy security and rejected unilateral sanctions in response to EU sanctions on Rosneft's Indian refinery operations. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Russian foreign minister Lavrov calls off planned visit to India
New Delhi: Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has called off a planned visit to India this month, which was meant to prepare for President Vladimir Putin's trip to the country, because of scheduling issues, people familiar with the matter said. Lavrov was expected to be in New Delhi around June 16 for talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, the people said on condition of anonymity. However, a belated invitation from Canada for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the G7 Summit on June 17 has meant that Jaishankar is now expected to travel with the Prime Minister next week, the people said. No alternative dates have been firmed up for the visit by Lavrov, who would have been the first senior leader from a permanent member of the UN Security Council to travel to New Delhi after last month's military clashes between India and Pakistan. A time frame for Putin's visit for the annual India-Russia Summit too is yet to be finalised, though the trip looks unlikely in the next two months, the people said. Besides preparing for Putin's trip, Lavrov's visit would have been an opportunity for India and Russia to take stock of bilateral relations at a senior level. The two countries are set to hold meetings of two key bilateral bodies - the Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation and the Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation - in the coming months. The people said these meetings continue to be on track. While the military commission will meet in India, the trade and economic panel will meet in Russia this year. Military cooperation between India and Russia has remained strong despite New Delhi's recent efforts to diversify sources of military hardware. Russian-origin weapons systems, especially the BrahMos cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia, played a key role in the recent clashes with Pakistan. Putin's planned visit to India will be the first since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. Modi travelled to Russia twice in 2024 - first for the annual summit and then to participate in the Brics Summit in Kazan. The two leaders are also expected to meet if they both travel to Brazil for the Brics Summit in July. However, US secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick recently criticised India's continuing purchases of Russian military hardware and its involvement in Brics primarily because of calls by several members of the grouping to reduce dependence on the US dollar. Speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Leadership Summit, Lutnick said some of the Indian government's actions have 'rubbed the US the wrong way'. He added, 'For instance, you generally buy your military gear from Russia. That's a way to…get under the skin of America, if you go to buy your armaments from Russia.'
The Print
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
16 Indians still missing after joining Russian army, families to travel to Moscow for answers
Around 126 Indians joined the Russian Army to fight the war in Ukraine between the end of 2023 and early 2024. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), 96 of them have returned to India, while 12 were killed on the frontlines. Russian authorities have been unable to ascertain the location of 16 Indians for over a year. In February, the government informed the Lok Sabha that 18 Indians were in Russia, of which 16 are missing. Of the remaining two, Jain T.K from Kerala, who was injured on the frontlines, returned in April. The other Indian has acquired Russian citizenship, said a person familiar with the matter. New Delhi: At least 16 Indians remain missing in Russia for over a year, after being forced to join the military there last year. Some of the family members of those missing are set to travel to Moscow later this month to further inquire about the case. The issue of Indians in the Russian armed forces has been raised at the highest levels, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting Russian President Vladimir V. Putin twice in 2024—at the annual India-Russia Summit in July and on the margins of the BRICS Summit at Kazan in October. Now, four family members of at least 14 of the missing Indians are set to travel to Moscow at the end of June for a month. They will be working with a local foundation and meet with Russian authorities to find out more about the status of the missing Indians. 'Four of us will be travelling to Moscow, along with the power of attorney for 10 of the other families. For the one and a half years, all we have been told is that our family members remain missing,' Jagdeep Kumar, one of the family members set to travel, told ThePrint. His brother Mandeep Kumar from Phillaur in Punjab was promised a visa to Italy before he departed India in December 2023. The family paid Rs 31.40 lakh to an agent for Mandeep's travel to Italy. However, rather than Italy, Mandeep landed up in Moscow and was signed up by the Russian Army. The family last spoke to him on 3 March, 2024. 'He was given 15 days of training to become a sniper in the Russian Army, before being sent to the frontlines. Mandeep has a handicap, which does not allow him to run, but he was sent to the frontlines,' Jagdeep told ThePrint. Also Read: 3 Indians missing after travelling to Iran, embassy 'strongly takes up matter' with Tehran From UP, Punjab to J&K & Maharashtra Families of at least 14 Indians held a protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar in the last week of May. Nine of them are from Uttar Pradesh, with the majority from Azamgarh district. Three are from Punjab, while one each is from Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra. One of the missing from Punjab, according to a list curated by the families and seen by ThePrint, is Tejpal Singh, from Amritsar. Singh's family also last spoke with him on 3 March last year, before he was taken to Tokmak city, in the Ukrainian province of Zaporizhzhia. Russia has sought to annex Zaporizhzhia, along with the provinces of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Crimea since the current phase of open warfare began a little over three years ago. Mandeep, on the other hand, was sent to Donetsk, after which his family lost all connection with him. The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed last month that Arvind Kumar from Azamgarh district, one of the missing Indians, signed a contract on 17 January, 2024 to join the military in the Leningrad region. However, the military selection point for Leningrad region denied that other Indians, including Mandeep, signed contracts in the region for military service. New Delhi has pushed Moscow to ensure that no other Indians are allowed to join the Russian armed forces. The number of Indians signing up to the Russian military has since been curbed. There have been no new cases of Indians intimating either the Embassy in Moscow or the MEA of their service in the Russian armed forces. The Russia-Ukraine war has been ongoing since February 2022. In recent weeks, it has intensified, especially after Kyiv was able to destroy Russian strategic bombers through Operation Spiderweb. On Sunday, Russia is reported to have launched nearly 500 loitering munitions and missiles at Western Ukraine, in one of its largest such aerial attacks till date. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: Another Indian recruit in Russian army dies on warfront, some yet to be released
