Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a two-day visit to Russia on Tuesday to attend the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, hosted by Russia, from October 22 to 24.
At the summit, PM Modi will likely have bilateral discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders of the BRICS nations. This year has also seen the expansion of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, with the joining of Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.
This is Modi’s second visit to Russia this year to strengthen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia. The Prime Minister looked forward to his meetings with other BRICS leaders.
Modi’s visit comes as New Delhi strives to reaffirm its ties with Russia amid a spectrum of relations between the West and Moscow in Ukraine. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar elaborated that the relationship between India and Russia is permanent, adding that Russia has favored India since 1947.
“The situation is different for Russia now. Its relationship with the West is now sour. That makes them look towards Asia. Should Russia have only one or two options in Asia, and shouldn’t India follow its interests in that context?
Jaishankar then expanded on natural resource-based economic complementarity between India and Russia. He also added that the growing Indian need for resources offers huge possibilities for cooperation in areas other than oil, such as fertilizers, metals, and coal.
This longstanding cooperation between India and Russia started with the Cold War in defense, energy, and space. Historical examples include Soviet mediation in the 1965 India-Pakistan war and support during the 1971 war. Over the last few years, India has started diversifying its defense purchases, but analysts say it may take decades before India can fully delink from Russian arms.
Against this geopolitical backdrop, India has been increasing its oil imports from Russia, lifting the share of supplies from the country to almost 20% of crude imports against a mere 2% in 2021. The Russian ambassador to India told the same newspaper that the Western sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine have inadvertently strengthened trade relations between Moscow and New Delhi.
However, despite the warming relationship with the West, India has struck a delicate balance, particularly in the context of historic grievances and strategic considerations. Traditionally, the U.S. has aligned itself with Pakistan, while a treaty with the Soviet Union in 1971 provided a balance of sorts for India.
More recently, tensions have arisen over India’s reluctance to join other major democracies in publicly condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine and U.S. concerns over some of India’s internal policies and reputed clandestine operations. Recent reports about Indians’ involvement in clandestine missions in Canada have further complicated the relationship.
Analysts said Modi would continue with the tightrope walk between the West and Russia, reflecting a commitment toward strategic autonomy in an increasingly multipolar world. India’s Historical stakes with Russia remain one of the cornerstones of its foreign policy, underlining the continuance of a robust partnership amidst changing global dynamics.
