The Presidential elections of Russia will be held on March 4th. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Gennady Zyuganov (Communist party), business tycoon and independent candidate Mikhail Prokhorov, Vladimir Zhirinovsky (Nationalist Liberal Democratic Party) and Sergey Mironov (A Just Russia party) are competing for the post. Most poll results have indicated that despite protests last year, Vladimir Putin will emerge victorious.
While bilateral ties with Russia have always been a key pillar of India’s foreign policy, it was only after the visit of Vladimir Putin in the year 2000 that they acquired a qualitatively new character; this allowed for an enhanced level of cooperation in almost all areas of the bilateral relationship, including political, security, trade and economy, defense, science and technology and culture. In the last few years, the relationship has evolved significantly. In 2010, both countries signed 19 agreements, including three in the civil nuclear field and one for the purchase of 29 additional MiG-29K fighters; most recently, India signed a deal to add another 71 additional Russian helicopters to its fleet. While bilateral trade has increased, it is far below the potential of the two economies.
Results of these presidential elections will determine the nature of India-Russia bilateral relations for the next few years. Having extended the presidential term of office from four to six years, the elected candidate will remain in power till 2018.
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