Russia to ‘continue to build up a particularly privileged strategic partnership with India’
New Delhi/Moscow, Mar 31 (FN Agency) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday gave his assent to Moscow’s new foreign policy strategy, according to which Russia will “continue to build up a particularly privileged strategic partnership” with India, and also focus on enhancing the capacity and international role of groupings like BRICS, SCO, RIC, that “have strong Russian participation”.
The paragraph on ties with India says: “Russia will continue to build up a particularly privileged strategic partnership with the Republic of India with a view to enhance and expand cooperation in all areas on a mutually beneficial basis and place special emphasis on increasing the volume of bilateral trade, strengthening investment and technological ties, and ensuring their resistance to destructive actions of unfriendly states and their alliances.” On enhancing the capacity and role of groupings where the West has no role, it says: “In order to help adapt the world order to the realities of a multipolar world, Russia intends to make it one of priorities to enhance the capacity and international role of the interstate association of BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the RIC (Russia, India, China) and other interstate associations and international organizations, as well as mechanisms with strong Russian participation.”
India is a member of the BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa; it is also a full member of the SCO, it has good ties with the CIS region states, which comprise Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. India is also trying to negotiate a free trade agreement with the EAEU, which comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Russia. The RIC forum has also been meeting regularly.