Fresh defence and trade dreams take wing as Vladimir Putin’s New Delhi visit looms- The Week

Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, on Tuesday ratified a key military pact with India ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to New Delhi on December 4–5. Defence cooperation between the two time-tested allies, and the insulation of trade from US sanctions, are said to be among the top agendas of Putin’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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The Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support (RELOS), signed on 18 February between the two governments, was sent to the Duma last week for ratification by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The RELOS agreement sets the procedure for sending military formations, warships and military aircraft of Russia to India and vice versa, and the organisation of their mutual logistical support.

“Our relations with India are strategic and comprehensive, and we value them. We understand that today’s ratification of the agreement is another step toward reciprocity and, of course, the development of our relations,” Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of the State Duma, said at the plenary session of the house.

The agreement will regulate not only the dispatch of troops and equipment but also their logistics. The established procedure will be used during joint exercises, training, humanitarian aid, disaster relief efforts after natural and man-made disasters, and in other cases as agreed.

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In a note posted on the Duma website, the Russian Cabinet of Ministers stated that ratification of the document will facilitate mutual use of the two countries’ airspace and port calls by Russian and Indian warships. Furthermore, the agreement will strengthen military cooperation between the two countries, news agency PTI quoted it as saying.

According to reports, the two countries have finalised an agreement for mobility of skilled and semi-skilled manpower. Negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the Eurasian Economic Union, a five-member bloc including Russia, had started a week ago with the objective of resolving India’s concerns about tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade, officials of the external affairs ministry were quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

On the afternoon of Putin’s second day in India, Modi and Putin are also scheduled to address the India–Russia Business Forum at the Bharat Mandapam. This discussion will focus on further strengthening bilateral trade, reports said.

The two countries may also formalise a new payment framework, using the dirham or integrating Russia’s SPFS system with India’s RuPay network.