Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his “keenness to welcome” Russian President Vladimir Putin in India for the bilateral summit, during a phone conversation with the president on Thursday.
The telephonic conversation between the two leaders has come on a day when India approved buying 12 Sukhoi and 21 MiG fighter jets. It is to be noted that the phone call comes at a time when the relationship between India and China continues to be tense.
“The leaders took note of the effective measures undertaken by the two countries to address the negative consequences of COVID-19 global pandemic, and agreed on the importance of closer India-Russia ties for jointly addressing the challenges of the post COVID world,'' a read-out of the conversation by the ministry of external affairs stated.
The two leaders also agreed to maintain the “momentum of bilateral contacts and consultations, leading to the annual bilateral summit to be held in India later this year,'' the read out said.
Victory Day military parade in Russia, marking the 75th anniversary of the Nazi Germany's defeat in the second World War, was the first in-person event of world leaders last month after the COVID-19 lockdown. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flew to Moscow to participate in the event—at the height of the Galwan Valley crisis—underscoring the importance of the relationship. The decision to buy more fighter jets may also have been in the agenda.
Modi congratulated Putin for the anniversary celebrations, the press release stated. The prime minister also congratulated the president for the successful completion of the vote on the constitutional amendment in the country, which Russians voted to give Putin two more terms. This effectively makes him one of the longest reigning leaders in the world and an important ally for India to cultivate.
In the past month, there has been an increased Russian element to the India-China dynamic. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar participated in Russia-China-India trilateral—the first virtual face-to-face engagement with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi after the Ladakh standoff— even as as Singh flew into Moscow. However, Russia has made it clear that it has no intention to play the role of a mediator. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who was also present at the trilateral, made it clear that Russia would do no nudging. “I do not think that India and China need any help, any kind,'' he had been quoted as saying.
It is no secret that Russia is close to both countries. India had kept Russia in the loop about the developments on the border, while China is increasingly becoming a close partner of Russia. Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe was in Moscow at the same time as Singh. However, they never met.
