The Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India on December 24, to attend the 13th Annual India-Russia Summit. He will hold discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and review the India-Russia bilateral relationship.
Originally scheduled for November, this Summit was postponed to December, giving rise to much apprehension and debate about the status and fate of the India-Russia relationship, among the masses and the media.
However, this visit gives both sides the opportunity to discuss issues and iron out their differences. Both sides are expected to sign agreements in areas of arms cooperation, energy, infrastructure, and technology. Furthermore, they will also discuss ways to enhance the India-Russia strategic partnership in trade, economy, energy, and cultural and humanitarian spheres. Also expected is the announcement of contracts for 42 Sukhoi Su-30MKI jets, and almost 1,000 AL-31 warplane engines to be delivered by Russia to India, through 2030.
The focus, however, will be on discussions involving contentious issues like the delay in the delivery of INS Vikramaditya (Originally Admiral Gorshkov) – the Russian-made aircraft carrier which is under refurbishment since 2007 –, Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, and the suspension of licenses of the Russian telecom company Sistema, by India.
This is the third high-level exchange between New Delhi and Moscow this year. Earlier this year, our then Foreign Minister S. M. Krishna visited Russia in April, and the then Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov visited India in October.
India and Russia have shared a strong and multifaceted relationship for 65 years. However, despite maintaining good relations, the bilateral trade between the two nations stood at a measly $6.4 billion – while our trade with a much smaller South Korea stands at $20 billion. Although the governments are keen on achieving a target of $20 billion by 2015, this can be realised only if private sectors of the two nations invest in each other.