Military understandings will be achieved during President Putin's India visit: Russian Envoy Nikolay Kudashev

Russian Envoy Nikolay R. Kudashev has said that India and Russia will achieve "military understandings" during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin's India visit. The Russian President arrives in India on Monday for the annual India-Russia summit.

Speaking exclusively to WION’s Diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Kudashev said, “One could easily await some new understanding in the spheres like connectivity..... also some military understandings reflecting growing level of confidence and also some military agreements.”

India and Russia have an annual summit level mechanism which alternates between the two countries. Monday will be an eventful day for India, Russia ties. The day begins with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu co-chairing the Intergovernmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation, and EAM Jaishankar meeting Russian FM Sergey Lavrov.

It will be followed by the inaugural meeting of the newly instituted 2 + 2 dialogue mechanism at the level of the foreign and defence ministers.

In the afternoon the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit will take place for which the Russian President will be in India. Putin will be in India for 6-7 hours. 

Read the full interview with Nikolay R. Kudashev here: 

Sidhant Sibal: Key focus of the Russian President's visit? How do you see the visit? How will it help the relationship?

Nikolay R. Kudashev: The visit is really historical. There was a small pause due to the pandemic conditions. It is a personal meeting which is doubly important because the volume of the relationship is immense and level of confidence is also so that the two sides need some personal interaction. Rest assured the visit will be rich in substance, a joint statement will give the results of the visit, which will be very substantial and give the whole gamut of our ties in the global arena and bilaterally. One can expect a set of agreements and deals. One could easily await some new understandings in the spheres like connectivity, space, science and technology, education, arts and culture and also some military understandings reflecting growing level of confidence and also some military agreements. The visit will be very rich in substance and will signal and symbolize the post-pandemic stage in our ties.

Sidhant Sibal: How much focus will be on regional issues like Afghanistan?

Nikolay R. Kudashev: Definitely. Afghanistan is our common concern, it is the common concern of the countries of the region. We fully appreciate Delhi's initiative, when Delhi convened the recent Delhi dialogue of national security, bringing the famous Delhi declaration. Afghanistan would be on the agenda and some new level of cooperation, absorbing the results of Delhi Dialogue could be guaranteed.

Sidhant Sibal: Any update on deliveries of S400?

Nikolay R. Kudashev: The contract is being implemented as per the schedule and strictly as per the schedule. By year end one could expect fresh deliveries. For details, please talk to your military.