In this lecture we shall evaluate the significance of the Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit to Russia and the contours of ongoing recalibration of India’s foreign policy. Within the last one month India has reached out to China, Russia and North Korea in a clear display of its dehyphenated approach in pursuance of its faith in a multi-polar world. Prime Minister Modi has carried out back to back informal summits with China and Russia within a span of few weeks. First, the Indian PM met with the Chinese President at Wuhan and followed it up with another informal summit at Sochi with the Russian President. While the summit with China focussed on resolving mutual differences in a post-Doklam world, the summit with Russia has been helpful in recalibrating India’s ties with Russia and to discuss issues of global and regional importance and thus cementing their time-tested friendship.
These informal gatherings are designed as agenda-less summits so as to provide a flexible platform for both leaders to discuss contentious issues in an environment which is free from protocols, formalities and choreographed events.
In this context, we evaluate the various dimensions that define India-Russia relations including defence and strategic ties and India's interest to buy the S-400 air defence system and the possible impact secondary sanctions on India's under the US economic sanctions - CAATSA - which is meant to target America's adversaries such as Russia, Iran and North Korea.
24 сен 2024
