India-Russia Annual Summit: 21st India-Russia Annual Summit was held

India-Russia Annual Summit- Relevance for UPSC Exam

• GS Paper 2: International Relations- Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

 

21^st India-Russia Annual Summit- Context

• Recently, 21^st India-Russia Annual Summit was held in New Delhi, India between the Prime Minister of India and the President of Russia.
• Along with India-Russia Annual Summit 2021, the first 2+2 ministerial dialogue of India’s foreign and defence ministers with their Russian counterparts was also held.
• The last India-Russia Annual Summit was held in September 2019 in Vladivostok (Russia). India-Russia Annual Summit 2020 was postponed due to covid-19.

India-Russia Energy Cooperation

 

21^st India-Russia Annual Summit- Key Outcomes

• Progress in ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’: continued between both countries despite the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic.
• The 2+2 Dialogue Mechanism of Foreign and Defence Ministers and the Inter-Governmental Commission on Military & Military-Technical Cooperation mechanism was institutionalized at India-Russia Summit 2021.
• New drivers of growth for long-term predictable and sustained economic cooperation: Leaders at 21^st India-Russia Annual Summit underscored the need for greater economic cooperation.
  • The role of connectivity through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the proposed Chennai – Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor was also discussed.
• Greater inter-regional cooperation between various regions of Russia, in particular with the Russian Far East, with the States of India.
• On Afghanistan: They agreed that both countries share common perspectives and concerns on Afghanistan and appreciated the bilateral roadmap charted out at the NSA level for consultation and cooperation on Afghanistan.
• Cooperation on International Forums: At the 21^st India-Russia Annual Summit, both sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation at multilateral fora, including at the UN Security Council.
• India-Russia: Partnership for Peace, Progress and Prosperity: This was the title of the Joint statement that aptly covers the state and prospects of bilateral ties.
• Several agreements and MOUs were signed in different sectors such as trade, energy, science & technology, intellectual property, outer space, geological exploration, cultural exchange, education, etc.
• 22^st India-Russia Annual Summit: President Putin extended an invitation to Prime Minister Modi to visit Russia for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit in 2022.
• Defense cooperation: The two countries signed a contract for the manufacture of nearly 6 lakh AK-203 rifles, but “put off” a reciprocal military logistics support agreement (RELOS).
  • They also signed an agreement for military technology cooperation for the next decade- from 2021 to 2031.

S-400 Triumf Missile System

 

India-Russia Annual Summit- Key Points

• About: India-Russia Annual Summit is the highest level of institutionalized dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between India and Russia.
• India-Russia Annual Summit is held annually. India-Russia Annual Summit is held alternatively in Indian and Russia.
• Constitution of 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue Mechanism: at the 21^st India-Russia Annual Summit, a 2+2 ministerial dialogue mechanism was created.
  • With this, Russia became the fourth nation, along with the US, Japan and Australia, with which India has 2+2 ministerial dialogue in place.

 

Possibility of US Using CAATSA Against India’s Purchase of S-400