Russia has extended its support for India’s bid to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a permanent member and also commended New Delhi for adeptly managing contentious issues during the G20 Summit, terming it a true triumph of the Indian foreign policy.
UNSC Structure
The UNSC currently comprises five permanent members and ten non-permanent members. India has persistently advocated for permanent membership in the UNSC, emphasizing the need for a United Nations reform to align with the evolving global landscape. The existing permanent members include the UK, the US, China, Russia, and France.
MEA Chief Address
The Indian Minister of External Affairs, Subramaniam Jaishankar is on a five-day official visit to the Russian Federation. In his opening remarks, during his meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Jaishankar said “Our relationship has been very strong, very steady. And I think we have lived up to a special strategic partnership. This year we already had met six times and this is our seventh meet.”
On December 27, 2023, the MEA Chief said that the India-Russia relationship has been very strong and very steady and believes that both countries have lived up to a special and privileged strategic partnership.
During his meeting with Lavrov, Jaishankar said “We will focus on bilateral cooperation in different spheres, adjusting it to changing circumstances and demands.” Adding further he said “ We will discuss the international strategic situation, conflicts, and tensions, wherever they are. Also, focus on development challenges that the Global South faces. And of course, the state of multilateralism and the building of a multipolar world order.
Make In India
While addressing a news conference on December 27, 2023, Lavrov said that Moscow is ready to launch the production of modern weapons under the Make In India initiative. Both Lavrov and Jaishankar discussed the outlook for military and technical cooperation, including the joint production of modern weapons between Russia and India, a Russian media agency said.
Russia has been the major defense equipment supplier to India. However, after the US and India stepped up their bilateral ties, New Delhi diversified its import of military equipment to include many American defense items.
There is concrete progress on this track, Lavrov said. The diplomat said Russia understands and is ready to support New Delhi’s initiative, producing military-produced goods as part of the Make in India program, “We are ready to cooperate on this issue,” he said.
On INSTC
The Russian diplomat also said that the North-South Transport Corridor project will be completed in near time. Russia, India, and Iran signed an intergovernmental agreement on the creation of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) in 2000. The number of participants expanded to fourteen later. The goal of the project is to bring transit freight traffic from India, Iran, and the Persian Gulf countries by the Russian territory to Europe.
It brings together several different transport systems of individual countries at present. According to Lavrov, the project has caused great enthusiasm among countries on which its implementation depends and it will be realized in near time.
The foreign minister said Russia and India have agreed on the whole range of steps making it possible for us to broaden the cooperation, particularly in the context of the start of the INSTC being prepared, creation of the Chennai-Vladivostok rand cooperation on the Northern Sea Route development is a promising line.
On G20
Lavrov said that the G20 Summit that took place in New Delhi earlier this year was a true triumph of multilateral diplomacy which has become possible to a decisive degree because the G20 Chair did not allow making the outcome document unilateral. The outcome document reflects the balance of interests, this is a model of how to work in the G20 and by the way in the UN and its Security Council.
In G20, India managed to bring together nations with starkly divergent views on Ukraine. The G20 joint declaration that avoided direct criticism of Russia for its war against Ukraine is being described as a significant diplomatic win for India, the host of the summit.
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