India-Russia: News & Analysis

[kidoman]

PM invites Russian President Medvedev to visit India

New Delhi, May 9 (PTI) Extending greetings to new Russian President Dimitri Medvedev, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invited him to visit India, a proposal which has been accepted. Singh extended the invitation to Medvedev during a telephone conversation last evening when he conveyed his best wishes to the new President.

Medvedev accepted the invitation, sources said. The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the current state of Indo-Russian relations and reaffirmed their commitment to the strengthening of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

In a separate message, Singh congratulated Vladimir Putin who took over as the new Prime Minister of Russia. He conveyed his admiration for the progress that Russia made under the Presidency of Putin.

Singh described Putin as a "great friend of India" who laid the foundation of the India-Russia strategic partnership. PTI.

[sauravjha]

video of the flypast at the parade today

http://www.vesti.ru/videos?vid=131430

[Surya]

All this hardware is meaningless if the state of the Russian army especially its conspripts is not improved.

Reading yet another book by a former Russian trooper with pages and pages full of beatings, robbery, corruption - endless savagery.



Colonels beating majors , majors beating lieutenants -

Corrupt officers making ransoms of their own men - the list goes on

So they can parade anything they want- but till someone cleans up the army - many more Grozny's are going to happen

[sauravjha]

No, they are going to use the Father of All Bombs to settle future Grozny's.





And if Igorr is to be believed , Georgia will be the proving ground.

[Surya]

Well they have more professional troops for Georgia ops - but at somepoint they will bring in conscripts.

Putin should have concentrated on this task of reforming the army. Screw the Generals who never visit their men anyway and treat them as cannon fodder.

[sauravjha]

you are absolutely right. the rot actually set in from Afghanistan itself.

[Igorr]

Air Show in Moscow , May 9.
http://community.livejournal.com/ru_fot ... style=mine

[Igorr]

more countries will be looking to join nato after reviewing this situation.

its a double edged sword.

If they know they will be the first target for limited tactical nuclear weapon using, why they should?

[Arunkumar]

Air Show in Moscow , May 9.
http://community.livejournal.com/ru_fot ... style=mine

Nice photos Igorr.

[Igorr]

Nice photos Igorr.

Now the vehicles:
http://pitsenator.ya.ru
Push 'В другом размере' button rightside to change the resolution.

[G Subramaniam]

Nice photos Igorr.

Now the vehicles:
http://pitsenator.ya.ru
Push 'В другом размере' button rightside to change the resolution.

Igorr,
in conventional terms can the Russian army prevent a chinese takeover of siberia ?

What is the status of re-arming the russian military and raising the level of the conscripts ?

I know the spetznaz is always 100% ready, but the rest seem to have degenerated during the Yeltsin years

[Igorr]

Igorr,
in conventional terms can the Russian army prevent a chinese takeover of siberia ?

What is the status of re-arming the russian military and raising the level of the conscripts ?

I know the spetznaz is always 100% ready, but the rest seem to have degenerated during the Yeltsin years

The eventualy war with China cannot be conventional. The early use of tactical nukes is obvious in any realistic scenario with except of may be isolated border incident.

The most of combat ready Russian divisions are in Siberia and Faer East. The lesser part - on North Caucasus and near Moscow. THe whole number of combat ready hired ground troops - is 130 thousands combatants in near future ideal, in reality it's still less. The rest - are conscripts and non combatant personell. It's of Defence Ministry. Also the Internal Ministry has it's forces including very good equipped and trained Spetsnaz. Their role is in some parallel with US National Guard, and they have broad experiance in Chechnya. THen the most combat work in cities they did, not Army. Sometimes their equipment and training was better than of Army. They also have armored vehicles and even modernized tanks T-62. If defensive posture they will play big role in conventional East Region defence. It's in addition for Army's nukes, tanks and aviation.. The forces of conscripted - are indeed only for supporting role. Since 2004 no conscript was sent to Chechnya or any other 'hot spot'. Starting from 2008 they served only 1 year, i.e. their role will be reduced further and limited to common military training for reserve service in war time.

China is not sole treat for Russian Far East. Russia has no yet peace treaty with Japan due to Japanese territorial claims for Southern Kurils. Also Alaska State has a claim for some Russian isles in Arctica.

[G Subramaniam]

During the time of Indira Gandhi and Brezhnev, it was unwritten soviet-indian policy to contain china

Given that Russia has sold so many weapons to china, is there any fear that these weapons could be used against russia

Is this the reasoning why T-90, Brahmos are sold to India and not china

IMHO, in 20 years, China will first move against USA over taiwan, and if successful,
then turn on India and finally Russia

They still want Vladivostok, Eastern Bank of Amur River, Mongolia and Tannu Tuva


Is there also possibility of chinese nibbling at CIS stans
since these are no longer covered by Russian nuke umbrella

[Philip]

Good news that Putin's team remains the same with many good friends of India in it.Here is the west's view,expectedly,they don't like it and can only bitch!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europ ... 27007.html

Putin's hardliners keep places in new cabinet
Shaun Walker in Moscow
Tuesday, 13 May 2008


Vladimir Putin, in his new role as Russia's Prime Minister, announced a new cabinet of ministers yesterday that appears to bear out predictions that he will remain the real centre of power in the country.


Most of the key ministers who served under Mr Putin when he was President have retained their posts, while powerful allies have moved with their old boss from the Kremlin to the White House, seat of the Russian government.

There was comfort for Western investors, who will be pleased that Alexei Kudrin, who was one of the few liberals in Mr Putin's government, retains his position as Finance Minister and a deputy prime minister.

But elsewhere, old Putin associates play a strong role in this government as in the last. Sergei Lavrov remains as Foreign Minister, and the hawkish Sergei Ivanov, who was thought to be in competition with Dmitry Medvedev for the presidency last year, remains a deputy prime minister.

Igor Sechin, regarded as one of the most powerful people in Russia and leader of the informal Kremlin siloviki clan of hardliners with links to the security services, moves from the presidential administration to become a deputy prime minister. Sergei Sobyanin, former head of the presidential administration, becomes Mr Putin's chief of staff and a deputy prime minister.

The number of deputy prime ministers was raised from five to seven, which analysts say will relieve Mr Putin of much of the mundane bureaucracy that comes with the prime minister's job and allow him to focus on strategy.

Viktor Zubkov, the former collective farm boss who preceded Mr Putin as prime minister, becomes one of two "first" deputy prime ministers, while the other will be Igor Shuvalov, a smooth-talking English speaker who was formerly Mr Putin's economic adviser.

One of the biggest changes was in the FSB security services, which will be led by Alexander Bortnikov, a career FSB official who previously led the former KGB in Mr Putin's home town of St Petersburg and ran the agency's fight against economic crimes. He has been implicated by Russia's The New Times, among others, of being linked to a scheme to launder billions of dollars through a network of banks. Mr Bortnikov has never commented on the allegations.

Viktor Cherkesov, who led the powerful anti-drugs agency within the security services, was moved away from his post to run a new weapons agency in yesterday's reshuffle. He was best known for an article he wrote in the Russian press last year, which said that the security services were descending into a war of "all against all". He said the FSB was divided between genuine "warriors" for the cause, and "traders" who simply tried to get rich.

"The appointments suggest that the warriors have lost and the traders have won," commented Yevgenia Albats, deputy editor of The New Times.

Since Mr Medvedev became President last Wednesday, there has been little sign that Mr Putin is prepared to give up his position as the most powerful and visible politician in the country. Since handing over the presidency, Mr Putin has been mentioned more than twice as many times as his successor by Russian media.

Yesterday, he took centre stage again. Officially, he presented his suggestions to President Medvedev for consideration but there seemed little consultation and it was Mr Putin who announced the new government to the media. When pictures were broadcast of the meeting, Mr Putin was sitting on the left, the same place he sat when he received guests as president. Mr Medvedev was on the right, where he used to sit as Mr Putin's subordinate.

"Never before has a prime minister so confidently and calmly entered the territory that is constitutionally reserved for the president," said a political analyst, Dmitry Oreshkin.

[Karan Dixit]

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's FSB security service said it had intercepted a spy working for Georgia and prevented him from helping assist rebels in southern Russia, Interfax news agency reported on Friday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080516/wl_ ... orgia_dc_1

[Sanjay M]

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7387500.stm

It's good to see the Russian diaspora finally developing.

[sanjaychoudhry]

Past Problems Threaten Future Russian-Indian Arms Deals

http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/article.aspx?id=2141

[Igorr]

The first fly of Sukhoi Superjet-100 liner at Monday:
http://www-download.1tv.ru/video/2008_05/1905082102.3gp
http://www.knaapo.ru/media/News/ssj_rac ... _1_big.jpg

[Ardeshir]

Past Problems Threaten Future Russian-Indian Arms Deals

http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/article.aspx?id=2141

Even so, Russian analysts fear that problems with past arms deals will impede Russia's ability to win a $12 billion contract to supply 126 new "fifth-generation" fighter planes to replace the MiG-26, which has served as the mainstay of the Indian Air Force.

[Igorr]

126 new "fifth-generation" fighter planes to replace the MiG-26[/b]

The author drunk too much whiskey

[Karan Dixit]

US seeking to overcome China, Russia missile defense objections

link

[Tilak]

Russia delivers nuclear fuel for India's Kudankulam plant
18:39 | 26/ 05/ 2008
Novosti

NEW DELHI, May 26 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has delivered the first batch of nuclear fuel to India for the country's Kudankulam nuclear power plant, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. said on Monday.

Atomstroyexport, Russia's nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly, has been building two reactors for the Kudankulam plant in the southern province of Tamil Nadu since 2002 in line with a 1988 deal between India and the Soviet Union.

In February this year Russia and India initialed a new agreement to construct four more reactors for the Kudankulam plant.

Russia is obliged to supply nuclear fuel for the reactors and re-export the spent fuel.

Last year Russia proposed that India invest in the construction of a uranium enrichment center in Angarsk, east Siberia.

The nuclear center, part of Moscow's non-proliferation initiative to create a network of enrichment centers under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, will be based at a chemical plant in Angarsk. The center, co-founded by Russia and Kazakhstan, will also be responsible for the disposal of nuclear waste.

[Karan Dixit]

[self deleted]

[Shankar]

Russia delivers nuclear fuel for India's Kudankulam plant

well our good friend USA is still talking and talking and still trying to ocn us into signing the nuke deal and the big part of our so called electronic media still trying to sell the deal to general public with an admirable collection of half truths and full lies

We should have taken all the four 1000 MW reactors from russia when MMS visited Moscow last year -but then he had a different agenda - pushing the great nuke deal down the throat of unsuspecting Indians at whatever cost even if that meant not taking Russian uranium and reactor being offered without strings

This is the difference between Russia and US -one does other just talks and squeezes but delivers nothing

example

submarine -foxtrot

supersonic aircraft - mig 21

modern battle tank - T 72

And now enriched uranium

and still we go and ask for a F-18 quote and go ecstatic when an old troop ship is delivered on time and then compare with delays and cost increase in supply of an aircraft carrier

[Karan Dixit]

Russia urges Georgia to hand over video of shot down spy drone


http://www.dw-world.de/dw/function/0,,1 ... l-1573-rdf

[Avinash R]

Russia to train Indian pilots for aircraft carrier

BERLIN — Russia will start training Indian pilots on MiG-29 carrier fighters to be deployed on the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier sold to India for $1.5 billion in 2004, the head of the MiG corporation said on Wednesday.

Under a contract, signed in January 2004, Russia is to deliver 12 single-seater MiG-29Ks and four two-seater MiG-29KUBs by 2009, to be later deployed on board the Vikramaditya, formerly named the Admiral Gorshkov, currently undergoing a major refit in Russia for the Indian Navy.

“In June, we are starting a theoretical course for Indian navy pilots, using the manufactured fighters,â€

[arun]

X Post.

Par for the course .

MI 17 price upped from USD 650 M to 1000 M by the Russians :

India and Russia in fresh price row over helicopters

[Surya]

Maybe Shankarosky can pay for it since he seems that the poor Russians are suffering and this is needed



Poor Igorr - lone ranger out there

[sum]

Its the evil,Bania Indians fault that the poor unsuspecting Russians got duped into signing helos for only 650 mn $.......
They grossly underestimated the work to be done in making each helo.....

[vina]

X Post.

Par for the course .

MI 17 price upped from USD 650 M to 1000 M by the Russians :

India and Russia in fresh price row over helicopters

Yawn.. Another instance of a long list of Russian Bait and Switch!.

Mig 21 upgrade.. Massive delays

Admiral Gorshkov -- less said the better.

Algerial Mig 29 --> Algerians said it was junk and returned it.. A disaster by any other name.

T-90 --> Kind of iffy..

Now MI-17 --> Massive bait and switch.. Quote $1b in the first place and that damned 30 year old thing would not have even been considered!.

Time to kick the Russians in the nuts and tell them to take a hike. Their "low price " bait and switch has run it's course. No more negotiations with them. Invoke the penalty clauses in the contracts and make them pay damages.

[Raj Malhotra]

When HAL tried to set up a assembly JV of medium lift helos with Ruskies, then forces kicked the proposal in the nuts. Now Russians are taking the opportunity to scr*w us. I think that Russians are doing the right thing for themselves, when there is money to be made from a corrupt nation, then nobody will let go of the chance

IIRC deal for 40 Mi-17 helos was for US$ 170million so the present deal should have been for something like US$ 400-500 million dollars but it seems that single vendor deals has its own benefits for the ____.

[sauravjha]

Russians today consider the Indian defence establishment to be their b****. though we all know about the strategic tie-ups ATV etc etc , the fact is a stand has to be made somewhere, otherwise we will continue to GUBO and buy rust buckets from the world over .

[Igorr]

the fact is a stand has to be made somewhere, otherwise we will continue to GUBO and buy rust buckets from the world over .

I think the deal wasnt finalised yet. So India still can buy something else instead of Mi-17.

Some interesting link: Indian serials easy for downloading on a Russian P2P-tracker site:
http://torrents.ru/forum/viewforum.php?f=505

[Igorr]

Medvedev blames U.S. for world financial crisis
The aggressive financial policies of the United States push more and more people into poverty around the world, according to the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. He made the statement during a speech at the 12th International Economic forum in St. Petersburg.

The Russian President noted that for the global financial markets, 2007 was one of the most challenging years of the past few decades.

“And, if we trust the experts, it may have been the most difficult period since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The underestimation of risks by major financial companies, combined with the aggressive financial policies of the largest economy in the world, resulted not just in losses for major corporations. Unfortunately, most people in the world have become poorer,â€

[ramana]

Meanwhile Pioneer, 11 June 2008

Club of Four talks shop

India, Russia, China and Brazil should work together on global issues, writes Dmitry Kosyrev

It is difficult to judge the results of the Foreign Ministers' meetings of the Club of Four -- tomorrow's world leaders -- by the documents, which they have produced. There were two meetings -- RIC (Russia, India, and China) and BRIC (Brazil and the same three) -- on May 15 and May 16 respectively.

There were also bilateral meetings in between. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed President Dmitry Medvedev's coming Chinese visit with his colleague Yang Jiechi. Later, he met Mr Pranab Mukherjee to talk about the not-so-great 'Year of Russia' in India. Mr Celso Amorim from Brazil, too, had bilateral meetings with his colleagues.

All in all, the meetings produced two communiques. But for the most part such documents are written in advance and then adopted routinely. Quite often, many questions reflected in the communique are not even seriously discussed for obvious reasons. In this case, for one, it is clear that all four powers stand for a multi-polar world and the UN's central role. This is only natural because each of them is a pole -- a powerful global and regional centre of influence. Predictions about at least two of them -- China and India -- becoming the world's biggest economies are making the Club of Four even more enthusiastic about a multi-polar future.

It is also clear that the future leaders are strong enough to talk about rights and freedoms without double standards, and with respect for all global civilisations. These ideas are expressed in the communiques. One of them mentions, for instance, that unilateral proclamation of Kosovo's independence contradicts international law. Incidentally, Brazil's Foreign Minister was not concerned over Kosovo, and the BRIC's communique does not mention it. But multi-ethnic Russia, India and China know too well what happens if each terrorist outfit starts proclaiming the independence of the seized territory.

If this similarity of positions was predictable, was it worth meeting in Yekaterinburg in order to remind the world what the claimants to global leadership think? This question requires a positive answer because the negotiating marathon produced more interesting results.

These results are very different because for the RIC this is the eighth meeting, and for BRIC only the third.

Russia, India and China have declared very confidently for the first time that the long-standing idea of trilateral communication at top and diplomatic level is working. It has produced many spin-offs, which always testifies to success. They are not very visible to the outside world -- at one time the movement towards integration in the EU or ASEAN looked pretty much the same.

In this case, we see trilateral co-operation in agriculture, regular meetings of businessmen and academic experts, and contacts in healthcare and medicine. Russia has proposed promoting trilateral cultural programmes. This is almost tantamount to an organisation.

The RIC meeting in Harbin (China) last October is a point of departure. The next meeting will be held in India, and there is no doubt that RIC will advance its cause.

Three Ministers made interesting statements on the region which lies at the juncture of the RIC borders in Central Asia. This is the region in which RIC has the biggest influence. The communique does not comment on India's desire to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). This is a long-standing and complicated issue. But Moscow and Beijing welcome India's more active role in the SCO as an observer. This is an obvious step forward.

Iran is also playing a major role in the region. Although RIC does not approve of Tehran's constant challenges to the West, it does not deny Iran the right to develop a civilian nuclear programme. In the past, China and Russia also controlled the discussion of this situation at different talks. But India's position has become clearer, especially after Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent visit to New Delhi. Importantly, the RIC countries consider the EU and the United States their key economic partners, and will not cast challenges to them without reason. But they want to protect the stability of their region together, and this is what they decided to do in Yekaterinburg.

Compared to RIC, the BRIC results are not so impressive. The Brazilian Minister was primarily interested in opening new markets for his country and co-operation with new partners. This is a long-standing policy. In trade, Brazil has long departed from the Latin American focus on the New World markets. Brazilians have been talking with Africans and Arabs. Experts believe that this ability to diversify ties will help Brazil to play a special role in the world in the future.

The BRIC meeting made a special emphasis on energy for two reasons. First, India and China are importers of energy resources; and, second, Brazil favours bio-fuel and nuclear energy. In this sense, it is more like India than China.

The four countries are already used to discussing common problems. Hopefully, they do not allow anyone to put them at loggerheads in the drive for markets, resources or political advantages. As for fully-fledged economic co-operation, they are still trying to develop it.

Lets see where it leads and if there are sincere moves.

[Sanjay M]

The Atlanticist mouthpiece NYT seems particularly anxious to apply the labels coined for Russians onto Indians as well. Look at the title of their latest feature on Mukesh Ambani:

Indian to the Core, and an Oligarch


The word 'oligarch' is one which they have most frequently used on Russians. But now they seem to want to stick that label onto the Indians too. The Atlanticists seem to be trying to cast the Indians in the same mold as their hated Russian blood-enemies. Perhaps that will make it easier for them to lump us all together in an 'Axis of Evil'.

[Neshant]

> MI 17 price upped from USD 650 M to 1000 M by the Russians


that's because they know that Indians are suckers.

[Sanjay M]

17-June-2008

RUSSIA’S RESURGENCE & ITS STRATEGIC IMPACT ON CHINA

By Dr. Subhash Kapila

So what does this mean for existing initiatives like ShanghaiFive?

Would they fall apart? Would India be able to make headway into ShanghaiFive membership, because of any cooling between Russia and China?

Or would both continue to keep India out of that grouping?

Will we see any Sino-Russian border clashes in the future?

[Vikas]

> MI 17 price upped from USD 650 M to 1000 M by the Russians


that's because they know that Indians are suckers.

would they not push India into the Arms of US/European arms industry if Russian Industry continues to fleece India like this.

[Karan Dixit]

In a loaded statement, the Russian ambassador said in his personal opinion the nuclear deal was useful for India but hinted that there could be a price to pay for the deal. "In principle, the nuclear deal is useful for India. But of course it is for India to decide and at what price India is prepared to strike the deal," said the Russian ambassador who recently met external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/New ... 139548.cms