India-Russia: News & Analysis

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RoyG
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by RoyG »

Philip wrote:The decision to buy more A-50 (Il-76) platforms for the extra AWACS is very welcome.In fact this illustrates the superb capability of the platform which is already in service as the Il-76 and Il-78 in heavy transport and tanker avatars.The acquisition of the C-17 and A-330 tanker decision smacks of extraneous interests during the regime of the now disgraced Surrender Singh.
:lol:
Mukesh.Kumar
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by Mukesh.Kumar »

A nice couple of video's on the Russia primarily on it's threat perceptions and a commentary on the Putin years. Very interesting.

Philip
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by Philip »

Western Quiz time.

Q:How do you define a nation that has re-integrated a huge strategic chunk of territory that it had lost and supplies massive quantities of energy to most of Europe,with a $400B contract for the same to China?
A:A would-be superpower.

Q:How do you define a nation that is in full-scale retreat all over the globe after a catastrophic failure in its foreign policy of military intervention,and is divided racially across the board at home?
A: The world's sole superpower!


http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/a ... urope-news

Russian food embargo leaves Europe with glut of fruit, pork and mackerel

Producers across EU race to shift perishable items, with concern that surplus will further push down prices
Ashifa Kassam in Madrid, Kim Willsher in Paris, Philip Oltermann in Berlin, Remi Adekoya in Warsaw, and Libby Brooks
The Guardian, Friday 15 August 2014

Mackerel
Mackerel is the most valuable stock to the Scottish fishing flee. Photograph: Getty Images/iStockphoto

A glut of French pears, warehouses full of German sausage, rotting Polish peppers and unwanted Scottish mackerel: Russia's move to ban European food imports in retaliation for EU sanctions is having a telling effect across a continent already slouching towards another recession.


Last year, EU farm exports to Russia were worth €11bn (£9bn). Officials in Brussels are scrambling to come up with measures, which may be announced early next week, to soften the impact of a ban that could cut that export market in half.

But already there is sign of dissent. In recent days, the leaders of Hungary, Slovakia and Sweden have all spoken out about the damage done by tit-for-tat sanctions that are really starting to bite for businesses on both sides of the standoff. Most notably, Hungary's Viktor Orbán called it "shooting oneself in the foot". And it is farmers in the major food exporters – Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and France – who have been hobbled.
Germany

The Germans export more food and agricultural produce to Russia than any other EU country – €1.6bn-worth in 2013, and there are concerns that the Russian imports will force German farmers into a fierce competitions with other European countries for new markets. Germany's biggest export to Russia is pig meat: of the 750,000 tonnes of pork, worth over €1bn, sold to Russia last year, about a quarter came from Germany.

The association of German pig farmers, ISN, has calculated the average farm could lose out on as much as €40,000 this year.

"Luckily Europe's meat exporters have been able to open up new markets in other countries over the last few months, thus balancing out the amounts usually sold to Russia," the ISN said. "Especially the Philippines, Japan and South Korea have increasingly received exports from Europe. The demand may increase as South American suppliers take their meat to Moscow instead."

The German agricultural minister Christian Schmidt, of the Christian Democratic Party, said that while the Russian import ban would have "noticeable consequences" for German farmers, he also believed that "it is clear there need to be no concerns about market turbulences".
Russia sanctions pic Value of EU agri-food products banned from entering Russia (€m 2013 figures)
France

The French exported €1bn of foodstuffs to Russia last year, and the embargo is hitting France's 27,000 fruit and vegetable farmers hardest:
1% of its fresh fruit and 3% of vegetables – 50,000 tonnes a year in total – leave France directly for Russia. A further 50,000 tonnes more are exported to Russia via the Benelux and Baltic countries in a trade worth €48m a year. Of these 100,000 tonnes, 54% are apples, 20% potatoes, 8% tomatoes and cucumbers, 6% pears and 6% cauliflowers.

Xavier Beulin, head of the main French agricultural union, has asked to see the French president, François Hollande, and said he was worried a glut of fruit and vegetables destined for Russia would flood the European market, dragging down prices, especially produce that has a limited shelf life. He warned that some producers had already started laying off staff.

"The European market is already very stretched in certain areas ... meaning prices that don't allow producers to cover the cost of their work," he said. "The produce that's no longer going to Russia is likely to find itself on the European market and we fear a crisis."

The French fruit producers federation fears this will aggravate what they describe as "commercial dumping" of fruit, particularly peaches.

Its president, Luc Barbier, said: "The Russians will continue to eat apples, tomatoes and peaches, except that they will no longer come from Europe, they will come from Asia, Brazil, South Africa and elsewhere. So, when the (Russia) market reopens it will take years to regain part of the market. It's terrible."

Eric Guasch, an apple producer from the Avignon region, sells 80% of his fruit to the Russians, and has already laid off the nine seasonal workers he had taken on.

"We are still in a state of shock over the embargo, which fell just like that.," he said. "It wasn't just that all the orders we had were cancelled, but that our lorries already on the road were stopped at the Russian border and turned back.

"So we have a problem of dealing not just with unsold stock, but produce in transit."
Spain

Spain is counting its blessings: though fruit, meat and vegetables were included in the Russian sanctions, wine and olive oil were not.

But some Spanish farmers are still feeling the pinch, particularly as 30,000 tonnes of tomatoes, peaches and mandarin oranges exported to Russian annually will now have to find another home on a continent facing a glut.

"Orders have been cancelled yesterday and this morning," noted COAG, an association that represents Spanish farmers. Producers in the regions of Murcia, Valencia and Andalusia are expected to be hardest hit by the sanctions.

Russia's tit-for-tat ban came as many in the sector were already struggling. A burst of warm weather in spring made peaches and nectarines available much earlier across the Eurozone, lengthening the season. The increased supply saw prices drop even before the ban came into effect, noted COAG. "The sector is already suffering a deep crisis with respect to pricing, which is being aggravated by the closing off of this important market." Now the rush is on for producers to find ways to rid themselves of the excess produce before the value of their products evaporate on the European market.
Poland

The most notable response to the ban here has been a social media campaign urging Poles to "stand up to Putin by eating apples". But it is more perishable vegetables being harvested now such as peppers and cabbage that are greater cause for concern. "Apples can be stored for up to 9 months while vegetables like paprika have to be sold immediately after harvesting, and Russia has been the destination for some 40% of our produce," complained Roman Sobczak, head of Polish Paprika, a producer group. The price of some vegetables has fallen by about 50%.

Poland's agriculture minister, Marek Sawicki, expressed "disappointment" this week after talks with EU officials on the issue. While Sawicki went to Brussels demanding immediate compensation for Polish farmers, he was told the EU needed to wait until it had more data with which to analyse potential losses from the Russia ban. However, Sawicki did say that EU agriculture commissioner Dacian Ciolos had promised to speed up compensation procedures regarding the most sensitive Polish agricultural products, namely those which cannot be stored for longer periods of time.
United Kingdom

Mackerel is the most valuable stock to the Scottish fishing fleet, and about 20% – £16m worth – is exported to Russia annually.

Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, said: "Russia is a very important export market for Scottish mackerel, and the denial of access would have serious implications for both mackerel fishermen and the onshore processing sector. We recognise that this is a serious geopolitical issue, but the downstream impact will hit a number of business sectors including Scottish fishing."

The Scottish government's cabinet secretary for rural affairs, food and the environment, Richard Lochhead, met his UK government counterpart, Elizabeth Truss, on Friday to discuss the impact of Russian trade sanctions on Scotland's mackerel fleet and processors.

Lochhead highlighted the need for the UK to look at export insurance to help the industry with exports to Ukraine and to explore with the EU the possibility of "banking of quota", meaning leaving fish in the sea.

Alex Wiseman, a mackerel fisherman and chair of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen's Association, foresees serious economic hardship as a result of the ban. "Trying to find a market out there to replace to hole left by Russia is impossible in the short term," he said.

Though the widely publicised health benefits of eating oily fish have increased demand in the UK and mainland Europe in recent years, Wiseman said there was "no way" that this demand could pick up the shortfall. "It might happen but it could take 10 years," he said, explaining that countries with emerging markets for mackerel would have to invest in cold storage infrastructure to handle sufficient volume.

He said the ban could not have come at a worse time for fishermen: "Our quotas have been increased by 80% this year because the stocks were so healthy.

"We are asking the UK government to let us leave the fish swimming in the sea, then we can catch it and evenly distribute it into the market next year when things have improved.
This doesn't involve storage costs or adjusting the quota, but we have to go through layers of EU bureaucracy to get there."
Come on India,fill the gap,feed the Russians!
krishnan
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by krishnan »

fill what ??? We have to be very careful what we explort , you dont want prices here to go up.
Neshant
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by Neshant »

Sadly India has only small plots of land being farmed by subsistence level farmers.

Its not vast fields like in the US & Canada where farming is mechanised.

There is also insufficient processing, packaging, storage and shipping facilities to move the agri goods even within the country let alone to overseas location.

If nothing else, perhaps India can purchase some food processing machinery from soon to be bankrupt European farmers at affordable prices. A sad state of affairs but at least the equipment will be put to good use in India instead of standing idle in Germany or wherever.
panduranghari
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by panduranghari »

Subsistence farmers have been kept that way by the state. The way farming is done is not a wrong way per se. With the right tools, they could improve yields. Besides mechanised farming consumes lot of oil. Can we increase our oil bill even more? It is not a panacea.

What Modi intends to do with farming (as elaborated in his many speeches) MAY BE a better way forward.

http://www.narendramodi.in/transform-ag ... orm-india/

http://www.agweb.com/blog/the_truth_abo ... gy_to_use/
Rien
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by Rien »

panduranghari wrote:Subsistence farmers have been kept that way by the state. The way farming is done is not a wrong way per se. With the right tools, they could improve yields. Besides mechanised farming consumes lot of oil. Can we increase our oil bill even more? It is not a panacea.
To everyone in this thread talking about subsistence farming. We need our farmers to make money! Why should they be stuck in a life of poverty just because they are a farmer? Looking at the success story of Quinoa and helping the Bolivian farmers out of poverty makes me think we can do similar for desi farmers.

Amul can sell its milk worldwide. No reason why Bharat's products can't be as ubiquitous as McDonalds and Coke are.
Philip
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by Philip »

V.interesting take on the Indian independence struggle,similarities and differences between Gandhi and Lenin.Trotsky's contempt for Gandhi's strategy,etc.However,the conclusion showed that it was in truth the revolt by the Indians in uniform and the INA that struck terror into the hearts of the Brits who decided to cut their losses and retreat gracefully rather than disgracefully with their tails between their legs.

How Russia fired up India’s freedom movement

http://in.rbth.com/blogs/2014/08/15/how ... 37555.html
August 15, 2014 Rakesh Krishnan Simha
Both the peacenik Mohandas Gandhi as well as firebrand revolutionaries found inspiration in the methods practised by Russians to win freedom from tyranny.

St Petersburg’s illustrious Sanskrit connections
Russian scholars and the Indus Valley script

How Russia fired up India’s freedom movement
“There is no end to the acts of violence and plunder which goes under the name of the British system of government in India,” Lenin pointed out in his work 'Inflammable Material in World Politics'. Source: Denis Evstafev / RIA Novosti

It was the first Russian Revolution, in 1905, that fired up the imagination of Indian revolutionaries. Mohandas Gandhi regarded it as “the greatest event of the present century” and “a great lesson to us”. India was also switching to this “Russian remedy against tyranny,” Gandhi said.

The revolution made a big impact also on the minds of Indian revolutionaries who, unlike the ‘Moderates’ and the ‘Extremists’ of the Congress party, intended to get absolute independence by adopting revolutionary methods as practised by Russians.

The Bengalee newspaper declared in a May 25, 1906 editorial: “The revolution that has been affected in Russia after years of bloodshed...may serve as a lesson to other governments and other peoples.”

The Yugantar issued a threat: “In every country there are plenty of secret places where arms can be manufactured.” It advocated the plundering of post offices, banks and government treasuries for financing revolutionary activities. The newspaper also observed that “not much physical strength was required to shoot Europeans”.
пустым не оставлять!!

I-Day: Russia’s role in the Indian freedom movement

The Indian Sociologist said in its December 1907 issue: “Any agitation in India must be carried out secretly and the only methods which can bring the English to their senses are the Russian methods vigorously and incessantly applied until the English relax their tyranny and are driven out of the country.”

These incendiary articles had an immediate impact, and within a year bombs were exploding and bullets flying across India. On April 30, 1908, Prafulla Chaki and Khudiram Bose threw a bomb on a carriage in Muzzafarpur in order to kill Douglas Kingsford, the chief presidency magistrate, but by mistake killed two women travelling in it.

Praising the bomb throwers, the newspaper Kal wrote: “The people are prepared to do anything for the sake of Swaraj (self rule) and they no longer sing the glories of British rule. They have no dread of British power. It is simply a question of sheer brute force. Bomb-throwing in India is different from bomb-throwing Russia. Many of the Russians side with their government against these bomb-throwers, but it is doubtful whether much sympathy will be found in India. If even in such circumstances Russia got the Duma, then India is bound to get Swarajya.”

Chaki committed suicide when caught and Bose, just 18 years old, was hanged. Bal Gangadhar Tilak – known as Gandhi’s political guru – defended the revolutionaries and demanded immediate self rule. He was arrested and a British kangaroo court sentenced him to six years in a Burma jail.

Days after Tilak’s trial, Russian leader Vladimir Lenin published an article titled 'Inflammable Material in World Politics'. He wrote that the British, angered by the mounting revolutionary struggle in India, are “demonstrating what brutes” the European politician can turn into when the masses rise against the colonial system.

“There is no end to the acts of violence and plunder which goes under the name of the British system of government in India,” Lenin pointed out. “Nowhere in the world – with the exception, of course of Russia – will you find such abject mass poverty, such chronic starvation among the people. The most liberal and radical personalities of free Britain…become regular Genghis Khans when appointed to govern India, and are capable of sanctioning every means of “pacifying” the population in their charge, even to the extent of flogging political protestors!”

Blasting the “infamous sentence pronounced by the British jackals on the Indian democrat Tilak”, Lenin predicted that with the Indians having got a taste of political mass struggle, the “British regime in India is doomed”.

“By their colonial plunder of Asian countries, the Europeans have succeeded in so steeling one of them, Japan, that she has gained great military victories, which have ensured her independent national development. There can be no doubt that the age-old plunder of India by the British, and the contemporary struggle of all these ‘advanced’ Europeans against Persian and Indian democracy, will steel millions, tens of millions of proletarians in Asia to wage…a struggle against their oppressors which will be just as victorious as that of the Japanese.”

Lenin and Gandhi

Lenin and Gandhi were at opposite ends of the revolutionary spectrum. They differed not only in their national and individual goals but also in the means they advocated to achieve such goals.

Irving Louis Horowitz writes in The Idea of War and Peace: The Experience of Western Civilization that despite their differences, the very fact they were both leaders of masses of mankind in great nations place them in a kinship.

India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, has indicated the character of this relationship of Lenin to Gandhi: “Almost at the same time as the October Revolution led by the great Lenin, we in India began a new phase in our struggle for freedom. Our people for many years were engaged in this struggle with courage and patience. And although under the leadership of Gandhi we followed another path, we were influenced by the example of Lenin.”

When Gandhi said that “nations have progressed both by evolution and revolution”, and that "history is more a record of wonderful revolution than of so-called ordered progress” he demonstrated a community of mind with Lenin that went beyond the simple coincidence of political careers,” writes Horowitz.

Then there is also the Gandhian definition of socialism that Lenin frequently emphasised – the view that socialism is more than a transformation in economic relations, but a transformation in human psychology as well.

Horowitz notes that both Gandhi and Lenin were distinguished by a fierce devotion to principle, while at the same time revealing large reserves of flexibility in the political application of these principles. “Thus, the pacifist Gandhi could even agree to the utility of national armies, small in size to be sure, in times of national crisis; while Lenin could see the utility of middle-class parliamentarianism in the development of class forces. Even in personal characteristics they had much in common. Each of them eschewed personal comforts, practicing instead an asceticism geared to the achievement of their ends.”

Trotting a different path

Leon Trotsky, Russian revolutionary and the founder of the Red Army, however, felt Gandhi was a fake freedom fighter.

In An Open Letter to the Workers of India, written in 1939, just before World War II broke out, he wrote: “The Indian bourgeoisie is incapable of leading a revolutionary struggle. They are closely bound up with, and dependent upon, British imperialism….The leader and prophet of this bourgeoisie is Gandhi. A fake leader and a false prophet! Gandhi and his compeers have developed a theory that India's position will constantly improve, that her liberties will continually be enlarged, and that India will gradually become a dominion on the road of peaceful reforms. Later on, India may achieve even full independence. This entire perspective is false to the core.”
пустым не оставлять!!

Comrade Lenin: Forgotten in Russia, admired in Kerala

According to Trotsky, never before in history have slave owners voluntarily freed their slaves. If the Indian leaders were hopeful that for their cooperation during the war the British would free India, they were grossly mistaken.

With uncanny foresight, Trotsky predicted: “First of all, exploitation of the colonies will become greatly intensified. The metropolitan centres will not only pump from the colonies foodstuffs and raw materials, but they will also mobilise vast numbers of colonial slaves who are to die on the battlefields for their masters.”

Trotsky believed India’s exploitation would be redoubled and tripled in order to rebuild war-torn Britain. “Gandhi is already preparing the ground for such a policy,” he wrote. “Double chains of slavery will be the inevitable consequence of the war if the masses of India follow the politics of Gandhi….”

All of Trotsky’s predictions would have come true if the rebel Indian National Army hadn’t driven a stake of fear through British hearts. The 1946 revolt of 20,000 Indian Navy ratings and the very real possibility of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force joining the revolt finally hastened the end of the most genocidal empire on the face of the earth.
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

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Russia's move to sell S-400 missiles to China may rile India
Russia's reported plan to sell advanced S-400 anti-aircraft missile system to China may rile wary neighbours, especially India, as Moscow and Beijing moved closer in the backdrop of deepening Ukrainian crisis, according to a media report.

A recent comment by Kremlin's chief of staff, Sergei Ivanov, "the chances that China may be the first foreign buyer of S-400s are high," cited by official Voice of Russia, has sparked off speculation that the two countries have moved closer to clinch the deal that was dragged since 2010.

Security experts feel that the much awaited deal between Beijing and Moscow over the sale of S-400 anti-aircraft missile system can dramatically alter the balance of power in South China sea and in South Asia.

With a range of 2,400 km, the S-400 can engage up to 36 targets simultaneously with as many as 72 missiles at altitudes of five meters to 30 km,
Hong Kong based South China Morning Post reported.

The S-400 Triumph, a new-generation system upgraded from the S-300, which the PLA is using, is capable of countering all air attack weapons, including tactical and strategic aircraft, ballistic missiles and hypersonic targets such as the US' F-35 fighter jet.

If approved, it will be the third big arms deal between Beijing and Moscow since last year.

Moscow was initially reluctant to sell its S-400 missile system for fear of China reproducing them using its re-engineering skills, but west's decision to punish and isolate Russia in the aftermath of the Ukraine crisis had drawn Moscow closer to Beijing.

Wang Xudong, an adviser on satellites to Chinese government, said, "The PLA is expecting to learn some particular missile technologies from the S-400 system. I think China will soon produce a new type of anti-aircraft missile that compares with S-400 because Chinese are [good] copycats."

China and Russia are expected to cooperate further on developing the IL-476 transport aircraft and IL-78 airborne refuelling tanker, according to state media in both countries.


Macau-based military expert Antony Wong Dong said, "It's not clear [how] the military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow will go, but the US would definitely keep a close eye on it.
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Amul Darshan
Russia’s Galaktika in talks with India’s Amul on dairy imports
MOSCOW, September 03. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian dairy producer Galaktika, a partner of Finland’s Valio, is in talks with Indian dairy producer Amul on imports of cheeses and dried milk, Amul’s Managing Director Rupinder Sodhi said Wednesday on the sidelines of a meeting of the country’s delegation with the Moscow city government.Amul, one of the largest dairy producers in India, has not decided on the volume of possible dairy products supplies to Galaktika yet, he said, adding that it will depend on the market.Galaktika declined to comment on a possible deal.Galaktika, one of the largest producers of milk products in Russia, has two dairy farms and three dairy plants. The company leases some of its production facilities to Valio.In August, Russia banned imports of beef, pork, poultry, fish, cheese, dairy products, fruit and vegetables from Australia, Canada, Norway, the US and the EU for one year as an answer to Western sanctions. Since then, it has been in talks with other countries on increasing supplies to replace the banned ones.
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Interviews
Indian Ambassador: 'Our Privileged Partnership Covers Every Area of Human Endeavor'


http://en.ria.ru/interview/20140904/192 ... 80%9D.html
MOSCOW, September 4 (RIA Novosti) - Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan has only recently been appointed as the ambassador of India in the Russian Federation, but he feels extremely optimistic about the perspectives of Russian-Indian relations in almost all areas of human life: economy, regional security, counter-terrorism, energy, transport connectivity, culture etc.

Mr. Raghavan spoke to Rossiya Segodnya about Putin’s upcoming visit to India, plans to trade in national currencies, and his views on the Ukrainian crisis.

President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India is scheduled for December. Indian Ministry of Foreign affairs earlier stated that during the visit a road map of our strategic partnership will be signed. Apart from traditionally strong cooperation in military and atomic sectors, will the road map reveal some new areas of cooperation?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan: The special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia covers virtually every area of human endeavor; political, economic, energy, defense, space, science & technology, education and culture. When our two leaders meet at their annual Summit meeting later this year, I expect they would review our cooperation in all these areas and articulate their vision for the future development of our bilateral cooperation over the next decade. We are working on new areas of cooperation in many of the sectors that I have mentioned. There are particularly exciting opportunities in our economic cooperation, to enhance our trade and investment exchanges to the level that is commensurate with the complementarities between the economies of our two countries. Of course, at the same time we expect that our cooperation in defense and nuclear energy will also be further strengthened through decisions taken at a number of bilateral meetings in the run-up to the Summit and at the Summit itself.

India has shown a lot of interest in joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Will it happen in the nearest future? On what stage are the negotiations concerning India’s joining SCO?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is an important regional mechanism for cooperation in the areas of economy, regional security, counter-terrorism, energy, transport connectivity, culture etc. India has been associated with the SCO as an observer since 2005 and we have stated that we would be willing to play a larger role in the organization as a full member. The SCO Heads of States are meeting in September and we are hopeful that the organization will reach a consensus on its expansion process and procedures.

India has also expressed an intention to sign an agreement on economic cooperation with customs union of Eurasian Economic Community. When will India sign this agreement? On what terms?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan: India has very close relations with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan - the members of the Customs Union. Our trade and economic cooperation with all three countries are showing an upward trend. We believe that a closer engagement between India and the Eurasian Customs Union - which will soon become the Eurasian Economic Union - will be mutually beneficial and will provide further impetus to our efforts to create a quantum jump in our economic cooperation. We have already commenced a dialogue to look at all aspects of this engagement and to recommend the future course of cooperative action.

The new government of India has set a course for attracting foreign investment into Indian economy. What joint projects could it offer to Russian companies?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan: Our new government in India is committed to creating more favorable conditions for foreign investors and particularly promoting the manufacturing sector. I see great prospects of joint manufacture in India of machinery, equipment and products not only for the Indian market, but also to provide Russia with requirements which it is now sourcing from elsewhere. We have a number of investment projects operating and under discussion in areas like automobiles, pharmaceuticals, coal, fertilizer, energy and steel. As we prepare for the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, we expect not only to expedite progress on ongoing projects, but also to identify new avenues for increasing both trade and investment exchanges.

India has stated that technology import is its prime interest. One of successful examples of Indo-Russian projects has become joint venture BrahMos Aerospace. Do Indian and Russian sides plan other projects of this kind? In what sectors of economy?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan: Our defense cooperation has extraordinary vibrancy and is constantly exploring newer areas. We have already seen the successful transformation of our defense cooperation from a buyer-seller relationship to one involving joint research, development and production of advanced defense systems. The Brahmos missile project is an outstanding example of this model. Russia and India are collaborating closely in the joint development of a Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft and a Multi-Role Transport Aircraft for our Armed Forces. A number of other projects are under discussion to define the further lines of development of our defense cooperation.

Does Indian government discuss the idea of constructing a trans-Himalayan gas pipeline from Russia to India? Are there any other joint projects in oil and gas sector?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan: During the SPIEF 2014 in which a delegation of Indian business took part, there was an agreement signed by our Oil & Natural Gas Commission and Rosneft on cooperation in exploitation of resources in the Arctic Region. Among the spheres discussed was the energy sector which is very important for India. Energy security is a major concern for our government. We are an energy-deficit country and Russia is our close partner. Obviously we would like to see an expansion of energy cooperation whether it is in oil, gas or LNG. There is a proposal to study the feasibility of a gas pipeline from Russia to India. It is a project for the future, which requires a rigorous study of political possibilities, security issues and economic viability.

Does India come up with any measures to promote trade between India and Russia taking into consideration the latest sanctions against Russia?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan: I would not like to look at India-Russia trade and economic cooperation through the prism of external relationships. We have tremendous opportunities bilaterally which we should exploit. The areas of cooperation which I have mentioned are exciting in themselves and of great mutual interest. India is not party to sanctions on Russia and our business entities are always keen to expand bilateral trade.

Do India and Russia discuss the possibility of settlements in national currencies to avoid settlements in dollars?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan:
Our two countries have been discussing trade in national currencies as an initiative that can significantly increase the volume of bilateral exchanges of goods. Our Central Banks have recently set up a Joint Working Group to work out modalities. We would like to see an early completion of this exercise. There have also been talks between the Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank) and the Vnesheconombank for a guarantees cooperation arrangement, by which they would facilitate loans in local currencies for Indian and Russian companies seeking to invest in each other’s countries. This arrangement could boost mutual investment.

India has activated contacts with USA, the sides plan to cooperate in military sector. Will it somehow affect military cooperation between Russia and India?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan: Russia is our leading partner in military-technical cooperation and it is the only country with which India has an Inter-Governmental Commission headed by the Defense Ministers. Our defense cooperation is based on mutual benefit and is not impacted by other bilateral relationships.

TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline start is scheduled on 2017. Do Russian companies participate in this project?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan: Our bilateral energy cooperation in all forms must be deepened. This is one of the areas where we constantly strive to further strengthen our partnership with Russia. We would like Russian companies to participate in TAPI. TAPI partners are currently engaged in the process of identifying consortium partners who will participate in the project.

Tense relations between India and Pakistan keep down the economy of the both sides. How does India plan to solve this problem? Is it possible to help India and Pakistan to connect on SCO margins?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan: I disagree with your first assessment. India’s economy has been growing well over the last couple of decades, based on its strengths. We would like all neighboring countries to benefit from India’s growth story and work jointly on initiatives in that direction. India seeks relations of peace and friendship with all its neighbors on the basis of mutually beneficial economic cooperation and mutual sensitivity to security concerns. We follow a strictly bilateral approach to developing such relations.

Has India invested in Ukraine? What is happening with these investments now, as the situation in Ukraine is deteriorating? Does India intend to invest in the Crimea?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan: We have had relations of friendship with Ukraine ever since its emergence as an independent State. I would prefer my colleague, our Ambassador to Ukraine to respond on the details of India-Ukraine cooperation.

How have the latest events in Ukraine changed the balance of power on the geopolitical stage? Who has won?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan: India has consistently said that it is deeply concerned at the violence and loss of lives from the developments in Ukraine. We have called for restraint and sincere, sustained diplomatic efforts to resolve all the issues between the parties concerned through constructive dialogue. The solutions to Ukraine’s internal differences have to be found in a manner that meets the aspirations of all sections of Ukraine’s population.

How do you estimate the cooperation between India and Russia in the nuclear energy sector?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan:
We deeply value our bilateral cooperation in the field of nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is an important component of India’s energy security strategy. I am pleased that the first unit of the 1000 MW Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant has achieved 100% capacity and work on Kudankulam Unit 2 is progressing well. Our companies are at an advanced stage of negotiations for finalizing arrangements for Units 3 and 4, and I am confident that these contracts would be finalized shortly. We are discussing further areas of cooperation in the nuclear energy sector.

When will India and Russia sign the master contract on construction of the second unit of Kudankulam nuclear power plant?

Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan: As I have mentioned, the second unit is already under construction and talks are underway to finalize contracts for units 3 & 4.
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by Prem »

Now France have buckled under pressure by refusing , delaying the delivery of Helicopter carrier ,Naval ship ordered by Russia,Putin should put spanner in Rafale deal with India by offering to sell fighter jets at 90% discount. Who knows, instead of Rafale IAF might go for 300 MIg35s with AESA etc. Throw in 2-3 Nuke subs with throw away prices.
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by kuldipchager »

Jhujar

Post subject: Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

PostPosted: 08 Sep 2014 04:57



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Now France have buckled under pressure by refusing , delaying the delivery of Helicopter carrier ,Naval ship ordered by Russia,Putin should put spanner in Rafale deal with India by offering to sell fighter jets at 90% discount. Who knows, instead of Rafale IAF might go for 300 MIg35s with AESA etc. Throw in 2-3 Nuke subs with throw away prices.



I have said before that Mig 29 K was funding by India.Now Navy is pretty happy with Mig 29K.It is a common sense that we go with Mig 35 which is very close to MigK's
frame.And it will be the 1/3 the price.
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by Yagnasri »

I do not know if Mig 29K (or Mig 35) will be taken by IAF. Even as interim solution. We are fixated towards gora AC. Cost etc seems to be not considered as a parameter for selection of a system.
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by JE Menon »

Isn't mig Gora too?
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by RSoami »

IMHO there is going to be a penalty clause in that Mistral deal.
France by failing to deliver is likely gonna pay a lot more if Putin decides to enforce.
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by deejay »

JE Menon wrote:Isn't mig Gora too?
Good Point sir. The whole logic of buying aircraft for IAF across various threads has become totally convoluted.
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Post by Austin »

France has made a political statement that if they would like to wait till October end to make that call on Mistral , so far nothing formal in spirit of agreement has been communicated.

Just incase if the deal is cancelled for what ever reason france will have to pay heavy penalty ....more than the money its the loss of reputation that would matter as French are suppose to be independent supplier in the West.

In any case Mistral was an expensive deal , so if they cancel it they can make a mistral class with half the cost with SoKo assitance in Russian Yard which was what the Russian Ship Builder wanted to do but was overruled by the last DM in favour of France. Things come biting back
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by Austin »

Russia’s Rostec to team up with China to replace Western equipment
MOSCOW, September 08. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian research institute Mashtab, a unit of state-owned industrial corporation Rostec, will design telecommunications equipment and software in partnership with Chinese companies to replace Western analogues, a Rostec spokesperson said on September 7.

“In the framework of our cooperation, we will create a range of telecommunications equipment and software, which will be developed by Mashtab, and hardware will be made by our Chinese colleagues,” the spokesperson said.

“At the moment, we are holding active negotiations and planning to meet with representatives of several Chinese and Russian companies in order to form domestic and foreign cooperation ties to create equipment, which can replace products by the NATO members and their allies," he added.
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by Shanmukh »

JE Menon wrote:Isn't mig Gora too?
Thought MiG was a untermenschen slavenvolk aircraft, as opposed to the herrenmensch Aryan TFTA European/American aircraft?
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by JE Menon »

^^possibly boss! but still Gora...

We need ours. There's no way around that in the years ahead.

France's move should be another wake up call, if it is in fact needed. What the US has in fact done is give American defense companies another boost over French companies.
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by member_20317 »

Why must there be an equal equal between Amerikhans and Russians?

Amerikhans did get all their chance with the Indian markets and Indian cooperation. If after all this the status of relations is what it is then well thats life.

In any case Russians and Indians will always face the same set of problems which if you look at it is a good reason to begin to cooperate.

Why is this artificial equal equal not a part of the propaganda to prevent the Indians and Russians to cooperate for their respective areas of interests.

Not saying that we Indian can afford to be the lighter partner in such matters of cooperation. In fact the only way we can extract the best deal for ourselves is when we are strong on the negotiating table. But the situation is surely not that of consumer-consumed as is the case within the western hemisphere and the other relationships like Far East, Indian Subcontinent and Mid East where the Amerikhans have struck their collaborations.
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by RSoami »

We need ours. Thats the last line. We can cooperate with anyone as long as it helps us in achieving what we are seeking to achieve.
Why is this artificial equal equal not a part of the propaganda to prevent the Indians and Russians to cooperate for their respective areas of interests.
This equal equal is not a problem as long as it is a positive one. We can always compare the offers from other countries and choose the one that will help us in getting our own.
Isnt it the competition that forced/convinced Russia to start selling its cutting edge to us. And now to joint production and research and designing. Competition is good. Equal equal is good as long as it is not a negative one and fosters competition.
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Post by Ashokk »

Visa fiasco: Air India crew spend 18 hours in Russian detention
NEW DELHI: The cabin crew of Air India's Delhi-Moscow flight had to cool their heels in detention at Domodedovo Airport on Saturday for close to 18 hours before being allowed to enter the city.

The air hostesses had been granted Russian visas effective Sunday but the airline sent them a day before, without checking the basic detail of their travel documents.

"AI 155 landed early on Saturday morning in Moscow. Once all passengers alighted from the aircraft and all formalities were over, the crew left the plane. They were hoping to quickly reach their hotel and rest after the long red eye flight. The immigration at Moscow airport saw that the air hostesses did not have a valid visa as that was valid from Sunday," said a source.

An AI spokesman confirmed this oversight. "Visas are almost always valid from the day they are stamped. The crew was detained at the airport and asked to stay there only. They will be allowed to enter the city on Sunday," said the official. The air hostesses were put up at the transit lounge.

While sources claimed AI was fined a lakh Russian Roubles for this oversight, the airline denied that any penalty was levied on it.

The oversight, however, meant the harried crew have to spend at least 18 hours before being allowed in the city as the flight reached Moscow around 6 am. Airline sources say the crew was 'shaken' by the experience. "Moscow airport immigration is not the friendliest of places to be in. Even pilots do not get regular crew visa and fly on business visa. Pilots, as per practice, get their passports stamped on arrival and departure for the first time at Moscow as stamping every time would mean passport pages run out. But in Moscow are passports are frequently stamped," said a source.

After Saturday's crew detention in Moscow, AI crew that operates the Russia flights alerted each other about checking visa details before flying off there.

"Cabin crew scheduling sending crew without checking passport. Four cabin crew stuck in immigration because visa starts one day late. Please check all visa yourself before departure," a message circulated internally among staff warned.
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by Austin »

came across this in SJ twitter
https://twitter.com/SJha1618
DRDO is involved in over 200 joint projects with the Russians. And how many with the Americans exactly?

Regardless of the typical push and pull with the Russians, the fact is We are doing very interesting stuff with them indeed.
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by RSoami »

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/arti ... 07471.html

Khodorkovsky is acting smartass now. That will have an impact on Russian German ties.
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by Austin »

RSoami wrote:http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/arti ... 07471.html

Khodorkovsky is acting smartass now. That will have an impact on Russian German ties.
So his chief concern is Russia is moving away from West towards Asia and he should do something to reverse that typical Oligarch :lol:

Fact is only Asia will grow in the next 20-30 years and they need a lot of Energy to support that growth , And Growth in Asia is real and not like the flimsy Western Type based on Money Printing and even with those exponontial money printing EU struggles to grow above 1 % and US ~ 2 % all they keep accumulating is more Debt which outpaces any growth,

Russia has been too late to move towards the Asian market , Partly because Oligarch like him and other and Political Elites have been comfortable spending the money in London and US buying expensive houses and party due to system inertia ....now they got a strong kick on their Butt they realise their folly of not engaging Asia economically.

The only way any country can be closer to West is to have a foreign policy that does not oppose the west , if they end up opposing the west or even perceived that way then you end up being anti-western......You can count with you single hand how many country in the World has independent foreign policy.
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Post by Philip »

Something that the GOI should also take its cue from,esp. in the aftermath of the Snowden/NSA leaks and US spying against India.In a similar emergency,the GOI should have absolute control over the Net as its abuse by quislings and foreign intel orgs. could be crucial to events on the battlefield and winning the propaganda war.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 45466.html
quote]
Kremlin to consider plans which could remove Russia from global Internet 'in an emergency'
The proposals come as Russia has been attempting to stop using US technology
Kashmira Gander

Friday 19 September 2014

Russia may remove itself from the global Internet to protect itself against perceived threats from the West, a Kremlin spokesman suggested on Friday.

The Krelmin dismissed accusations it aims to isolate the Russian Internet, and insists it is merely concerned with protecting its national security – particularly as relations with the West have reached their lowest since the Cold War.

However, the country has recently passed several laws targeting Internet use, which include making popular bloggers register as media outlets, and forcing websites to store the personal data of Russian users.

Earlier on Friday, influential business daily Vedomosti reported that global Internet logistics would be the core subject of Putin's Security Council meeting next week.

At Monday’s meeting, Putin is expected to discuss a contingency plans to disconnect Russian citizens from the web in the event of “an emergency” Vedomosti reported, according to the Guardian.

Potential proposals could also see the state bring the .ru domain under state control.

If implemented, the proposals would give the government control over ordinary Russian internet users and expose their habits online.

According to the Russian newspaper, the laws could be introduced in early 2015.

The moves come as Russia attempts to reduce its use of American technology, fearing that its communications are vulnerable to US spying. Earlier this year, President Vladimir Putin called the web a “CIA special project”.
Read more: BBC news team beaten up on eastern Ukraine border
Bright fireball seen over the US 'most likely a Russian spy satellite'

"It is common knowledge who the main administrator of the global Internet is," the Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency on Friday, in what seemed to be a comment directed at the West.

"And due to their unpredictability, we should think of ensuring our national security."

While he did not specify what the possible threats from the West were, Peskov added: "Of course, it is in no way possible that Russia could be unplugged from the global Internet, or that it is readying or considering such a possibility," he said.

Prominent Internet blogger and Kremlin critic Anton Nossik said that by citing Western threats, the authorities appeared to be considering ways to put all incoming and outgoing data under strict control.

Regarding the meeting, Nossik wrote on his Facebook page: "there comes a moment to discuss the complete unplugging of Russia from the global Internet, so that no bytes would come here from abroad."

Since returning to the presidency in 2012, Putin has embraced a conservative attitude – moving himself towards the Orthodox church and courting an electorate who increasingly see the West as a declining power.

Additional reporting by Reuters
[/quote]
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by KrishnaK »

Austin wrote: You can count with you single hand how many country in the World has independent foreign policy.
What is an independent foreign policy ?
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Post by Austin »

KrishnaK wrote:
Austin wrote: You can count with you single hand how many country in the World has independent foreign policy.
What is an independent foreign policy ?
Stand up for your own national interest and stand up for it and not be co-coerced or bullied to follow someone else , Using international organisation like UN to pursue international policy and not purse unilateral approach that been the case with west since 90's

In Syria , On Iran , Libya and Ukraine Russia followed its own interest which were not in line with the west to a good extent China does too , ofcourse it comes with its own set of cost for them but in a way they get respected for it too.
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by vishvak »

KrishnaK wrote:
Austin wrote: You can count with you single hand how many country in the World has independent foreign policy.
What is an independent foreign policy ?
Independent foreign policy from Indian perspective with some clarity:
1) Primarily for benefits of India
2) to keep powers with world domination schemes away - since they will scheme to be part of problem more than solution in India as part of international/global schemes, thereby also involving their lackeys like pukis
3) Not benefit enemies at all.
4) Benefit friends and even parties neutral to India in realpolitik
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Post by Prem »

Combined influence of India and Russia to grow in Asia-Pacific

http://in.rbth.com/world/2014/09/19/com ... nt_seeding
A peaceful, stable and economically vibrant Asia-Pacific region augurs well for Russian and Indian interests. When it comes to China’s differences with its neighbours on islands in the South China Sea, India and Russia would prefer a peaceful settlement of disputes, and an evolution of a multilateral framework with China as a key player for resolution of conflicts.Both New Delhi and Moscow enjoy goodwill of the countries in the region. Countries apprehensive of threat to their territorial integrity and sovereignty have sought their cooperation. Vietnam and Indonesia have expressed interest in buying the jointly developed BrahMos missile to buttress their defence. Russia is a key supplier of defence equipments to the region, where India has also recently increased defence cooperation. Indian and Vietnamese signed an agreement to explore oil in 2013, and further during the recent visit of President Pranab Mukherjee signed a letter of intent to explore oil in another location. India can benefit from Russia’s expertise in exploring oil in the region.In the increasing globalized and multipolar world, the old notions of rivalry have transformed into a hard headed pragmatic assessment of costs and benefits of a particular move. While China is India’s largest trading partner, the prospects of which is likely to grow with the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to India, India’s defence cooperation with Vietnam, or Russia’s supplying kilo class submarines to it, may not necessarily offset the balance of relations between the three countries. As China’s close partnership with Pakistan has not created obstacles for it in developing closer relations with its Pakistan’s rival India, similarly India’s and Russia’s close cooperation with Vietnam and other Asia-Pacific countries may not offset their relations with China.
This is what balance of power theory in international politics suggests: nations balance each other’s geopolitical ambitions whether individually or in groups to avoid wars and to promote interests. India and Russia, which are strategic partners, are suited well to balance dominant geopolitical ambitions of other powers in the Asia-Pacific. India’s cooperation with China amidst differences, and Russia’s increasing relations with China and other countries in the Asia-Pacific and related problems can be better addressed collectively by India and Russia than separately.
Besides China, the other geopolitically ambitious power in the Asia-Pacific is the U.S. In recent years, Washington has expressed its desire to play a bigger role, possibly to counter the rising aspirations of China. And one of the moves recently mooted in this direction is to woo India.Indo-U.S. relations have not been very encouraging in recent months. America has to deal with a leader to whom it denied visa for about ten years. The uneasy relations are also reflected in the fact that there is no U.S. Ambassador in India since March. There are ideas roaming about how to boost relations, including inviting India to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, in which the U.S. and Australia and some other Asia-Pacific countries are members.
Juxtapose this to China’s invitation to India to play a larger role in Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, in which Russia is also a member. China’s close relations with India and Russia, with increasing economic cooperation between the three, may develop a front to balance the geopolitical manoeuvres of the U.S., which may not always coincide with the interests of these countries.
During the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in May this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized on the need of a security architecture in Asia-Pacific. According to him, “The region requires the security architecture which would guarantee equal interaction, a true balance of forces and a harmony of interests”. Putin also harped on an idea of ‘indivisible security’, implying security can no more be defined in the terms of interests of a particular nation or a group of nations. Insecurity in one part of the world affects other parts of the world. The elements of this architecture as laid out by Putin are: harmony of interests; equal interaction; and balance of forces. India in its foreign policy has emphasized on these elements. The principles of peaceful coexistence, or Panchsheel, as adopted by India reflected these elements.
Putin during his speech emphasized that the future of Asia-Pacific will depend on a balance of mechanisms of bilateral and multi-party diplomacy. In the context of multi-party diplomacy, India and Russia are already involved in many multilateral forums like RIC, BRICS and G20. India’s inclusion in APEC will further strengthen the multiparty diplomacy. Russia is supportive of India’s candidature, and recently China has expressed its willingness to consider India’s candidature. India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi will most likely attend the APEC summit in November. It seems incongruent that India is not part of this multilateral body, which consists of 21 members including as distant as Peru and as small as Brunei. India is the third largest economy in Asia and one of the fast growing economies. India’s inclusion in the body will strengthen multilateralism, and balance geopolitical ambition by promoting multiparty diplomacy and harmony of interests.In recent years India and Russia have increasingly staked their claims in the Asia Pacific. In July, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov stated, “The Asia-Pacific region is among Russia’s foreign policy priorities.” India’s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj emphasized, in the context of India’s Look East Policy, “Act, not just look, East.”India and Russia can evolve as a balancer in the Asia-Pacific. India under Modi has not hidden its ambition to play a bigger role in Asia-Pacific. Russia’s superior military capabilities and its strategic partnership can come to India’s aid in promoting bilateral interests and in balancing other powers’ ambitions in a multilateral framework.
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Re: India-Russia: News & Analysis

Post by Sumeet »

Russia offers India stakes in Siberian oilfields- sources -- UK Reuters
Rosneft offers ONGC 10 pct stake in Vankor - sources

* Offers up to 49 pct stake in Yurubcheno-Tokhomskoye- sources

* Putin plans New Delhi visit in December

By Nidhi Verma

NEW DELHI, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Rosneft has offered stakes in its two east Siberian oilfields to India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp, two Indian sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, as the sanctions-hit Russian company looks beyond Western firms to develop its vast resources.

The sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and Europe to punish Moscow for its incursion into Ukraine, have cut Rosneft's access to Western financing and technology.

Rosneft has offered an up to 49 percent stake in Yurubcheno-Tokhomskoye and 10 percent share in Vankor field to the state-run ONGC, said the source familiar with the discussions.

"They need money and want to hire partners. They want to demonstrate to the U.S. and Europe that there are partners available for them," said one of the sources.

ONGC would firm up its decision on participation in the two projects before the planned visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Delhi in December, this source said, adding the two fields are in geologically challenging areas.


The European Union has imposed sanctions on Russia's finance, defence and energy sectors and has frozen the assets of some 140 Russian and Ukrainian individuals and companies over Moscow's role in Ukraine.

The sources declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Rosneft declined to comment.

Rosneft's chief Igor Sechin, a close ally of Putin, has been on the U.S. sanctions list since April. Rosneft itself was added to the list in July.

Production at Yurubcheno-Tokhomskoye will start in 2017. The field is to supply Asian markets via the East Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline and feed a yet-to-be-built petrochemical plant in Russia's Far East.


In a major about-turn, given the Kremlin's long resistance to allow its powerful neighbour access to such deposits, Putin last month said he welcomed the idea of China joining the prized Vankor field.

Vankor project is vital for Rosneft to meet its growing commitments to supply Asian markets, above all China.

Rosneft is preparing to more than double oil exports to China to over 1 million bpd, seeking to secure market share and billions of dollars in pre-payments. (Additional Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin in MOSCOW, editing by William Hardy)
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Post by Austin »

Alexander Kadakin: India - a strong ally and trusted friend

Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia to India Alexander Kadakin awarded this year's "Order of Friendship" on the eve of the visit of the Russian President to India, told MIA "Russia Today" about his vision of the Russian-Indian relations.

- What, in your opinion, then the current stage of Russian-Indian relations?


- Relations between Russia and India is at its zenith, are characterized by an extraordinary level of maturity, depth and strength of the inseparable triad - mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit. Capacity specially privileged strategic partnership with India - one of the highest priorities and the main vectors of the foreign policy of the new Russia. Our partnership is a natural and objective, it is largely based on shared history and aspirations.

Judge for yourself: Russia and India - two of the multinational, multicultural and democratic state, national interests are never contradicted each other. Moreover - in most cases they are the same. In the face of India, we have a strong ally and a time-tested friend, which need both in terms of trade, economic, military-technical, investment and innovation cooperation, as well as an associate in world affairs.

Weight of India in world politics is undeniable. This is - a superpower in the making. I am convinced that the current historical stage has everything to become a turning point in finding new quality of Russian-Indian relations.

Turn Russia to the East and the coming to power in India stable one-party government headed by highly motivated pragmatic prime minister Narendra Modi, who has set a goal to implement a modernization breakthrough and socio-economic leap of the country - are powerful factors that will serve as catalysts for lifting Russia -indiyskih relations to new heights, giving a new quality of our strategic partnership.

- What are the issues, concerns are paramount to the Russian ambassador in India these days?


- I will give only basic. In December, we are waiting for an official friendly visit of President Vladimir Putin, a longtime friend of India. This, of course, assumes that all the time remaining in the center of our focus will be on issues related to the thorough preparation of hope, a landmark, the first Russian-Indian summit after a change of government, including the holding of meetings of intergovernmental commissions and working groups. There are other problems: in November - December of India marched Festival of Russian Culture. The Embassy has made every effort to make art of our country was represented at this show of bright and dignified.
http://ria.ru/interview/20141007/1027307785.html
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Post by Austin »

India’s Role in Russian Market to Grow Amid Western Products Embargo: Russian Official
http://en.ria.ru/world/20141013/1940226 ... ducts.html
India's role among Russian trade partners will increase over the course of a one-year ban on agricultural and food products from a number of Western countries imposed by Moscow in response to sanctions on the country, a member of the Russian Civic Chamber's agricultural commission said Monday.

"India is one of Russia's most important trading partners and its role will be growing amid our embargo on food product imports from European countries. Currently, there are perfect conditions for increasing mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries in the field of agriculture and food import from India," Alexander Khamidullin said during the RIA Novosti video conference "Russia – India: prospects of export-import cooperation."

Khamidullin noted that unlike the goods from other countries, Indian products like sesame, rice, coffee, tea and many other items "have never been grown in Russia, which makes them especially important and unique for the country's market."
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India can use Russian arms for any goals consistent with international law — Lavrov
MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. India can use Russian weapons for any goals that do not contradict international law, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a public lecture on Russia's foreign political affairs on Monday. He was replying to a question as to whether India intended to use Russian weapons to fight the Islamic State terror organization.

“As any other country, India can use weapons from Russia as well as those delivered from any other country for any goals which do not contradict international law. This is absolutely obvious,” he said.

“The only restriction which we always introduce in our accords and contracts is that an end consumer should not be changed,” the minister said, adding that “If we sell weapons to the Indian army, the Indian army should use them.”

Lavrov noted that if armed conflict breaks out, India can use these weapons as well as American and French weapons, which they have in abundance. “India can decide to use weapons in any way which does not contradict international law and principles set in the arms trade,” he added.
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Post by Austin »

Russia Welcomes India's Decision to Go For More Nuke Energy
NEW DELHI: Russia tonight welcomed NDA government's decision to increase the number of nuclear power plants saying it is the only way to solve India's energy crisis.

"The Indian govt is talking about 22-24 nuclear power units, that is the roadmap, because India has no way out of its energy crisis. It has been calculated that if India by 2030 has all the oil produced in the world, it will not be enough for sustainable developement. Therefore, to solve the energy problem of India, nuclear energy is the only option, just as we did," Russian Ambassador to India Alexander M. Kadakin told reporters here.

Kadakin said the two countries are on the same boat on the issue of maintaining stability in neighbouring Afghanistan post-withdrawal of US forces from there.

"We are on the same boat as you. On the Afghan situation post withdrawal, our vision is absolutely similar. We have a number of channels and mechanism with India where we have very close cordination and co-orporation between national security councils and foreign ministries, between our special agencies on how we can together with India oppose the threat to Afghanistan.

"If Afghanistan is not stable after the withdrawl, then it will have an effect on India and Russia in every possible way--religious extremisim, drug trafficking, murders and all that. Our vision is the same and we shall work jointly to lessen the possible effects of things which might come," he said.

Taking a dig at the "hullabaloo" around ties between India and USA, the Russian Ambassador said "there is zero technology coming from US to India. India is producing the world's best nuclear power project with Russia in Koodankulam. US has not given even a nail to this nuclear site."

He lauded the strategic partnership between India and Russia calling it a "strategic special priviledged partnership and friendship" based on "real facts".

On the Sukhoi/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) or Perspective Multi-role Fighter (PMF), a fifth-generation fighter being developed by India and Russia, he said work is going on as per schedule and there are no complaints about the designing work. "The work is going as per schedule and there are no complaints about the designing work carried out by the Indian and Russian scientists. There were some negotiations on the share of designing work. India has accumulated experience in designing aricraft that is why we were planning to do it 50-50.

But this has to be specified and elaborated on paper," Kadakin said. Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his keeneness to enhance strategic ties with Russia, Kadakin said "he (Modi) is a precise person, result-oriented. He is like Putin. They met in Fortaleza on the sidelines of BRICS summit and have got good chemistry working between them."

The Russian Ambassador said diplomats and important persons from India would be visiting India next month to strengthen the strategic ties between the two nations.

He said Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev would be visiting New Delhi on November 5.

Kadakin, who is fluent in Hindi, encouraged Russian and Indian journalists alike present there to learn the languages to allow "positive" communication. He said the Embassy is making efforts to increase the presence of Russian press in India.

He also expressed concern over "false" news reports causing "distress" between the two countries. The Ambassador mentioned a media report on fault in INS Vikramaditya and clarified the fault was not in the Russian aircraft carrier but the Indian refueler which could not fit in it.
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