Are India and Russia no longer comrades?

[mujahideen]

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Are India and Russia no longer comrades?


PEACOCK VERSUS BEAR
-Rising costs over the refit of the Admiral Gorschkov
-Disagreement over a major submarine contract
-Russian restrictions on Indian agricultural exports
-Visa problems for Indian businessmen
-Lack of direct and speedy trade links
-India's perceived pro-US foreign policy

TRADE TIES
Trade between the two is currently worth about $2bn a year
Russia is helping build two nuclear reactors in Tamil Nadu and is offering four more
India is keen to source more oil and gas from Russia
Russia is keen to sell India its new MiG 35 fighter jet


News that India's naval chief, Adm Suresh Mehta, has reluctantly agreed to pay the full price for the refitted Russian aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorschkov, is a manifestation of the growing number of differences between the two former cold war allies.

It seems that they are moving further and further apart over a number of issues.

Their leaders still visit each other's countries and rarely miss any opportunity to emphasise their decades-old ties. But nagging doubts remain over their ability to redefine their relationship in a fast-changing world.

The Admiral Gorschkov is a good example. From a negotiated price of $700m, the Russians subsequently demanded $1.2bn with delivery delayed till 2013.

Around the same time, the Indian navy has refused to accept an upgraded diesel-powered submarine after delays in the installation of a missile system.

Souring relations

These irritants and other disagreements over trade and India's foreign policy have all served to put a strain on once close relations.

Adm Mehta has called for a government review of military ties with Russia, amid growing resentment within the military about the Russian attitude to their needs.

Having depended entirely on the erstwhile Soviet Union to meet those requirements in the past, India today finds Russia a lot more aggressive and even a little indifferent. Around 70% of India's military hardware comes from Russia.

When India's foreign and defence ministers visited Moscow last year, President Putin allegedly refused to meet them.

In fact, Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, next only to the prime minister in seniority, was not even given an appointment by the Russian prime minister.

And when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh travelled to Russia at the end of last year, he curtailed his visit to just 28 hours.

'Not enthusiastic'

Officially the politicians deny any souring of relations.

"Despite major transformations, our relations remain firmly rooted in a mutual bond of friendship, understanding and trust," Mr Singh said recently.

Indian Defence Minister AK Antony for his part reiterated that India will not develop ties with any country at the cost of its friendship with Russia.

But experts say their words belie the truth.

The Delhi-based Russia expert Nivedita Das Kundu, says that both countries "have taken each other for granted".

She says that Russia is not enthusiastic about Delhi's growing relationship with the US.

But at the same time she points out that India needs to understand that for the next 15-20 years her dependence on Russian military hardware and spares will continue, despite frustrations in the military over delays and escalating costs.

Again the aircraft carrier saga clearly illustrates this. India's ageing Vikrant carrier needs to be replaced and Delhi has committed itself to a Russian replacement.

'Nostalgia'

It is only recently that India has begun to diversify and look at the US and Israel for military imports.

But Ms Kundu says "nostalgia" will not help improve relations.

India's foreign office has to get issues such as visa problems for Indian businessmen to Russia sorted out, she says, because at the moment, they have to wait as long as Pakistanis and Afghans.

The break-up of the Soviet Union has also affected trade between the two countries. Russia's share in India's total trade has fallen from 9% in 1991 to just over 1% in 2007.

From the third largest export destination in 1991, Russia has slipped to 34th place for Indian exports.

And the recent restrictions on Indian tea, coffee and agricultural exports to Russia - some of which have now been lifted - only served further to sour the relationship.

Experts argue that India needs to work harder to erase the widely held perception in Russia that Indian goods are of poor quality.

Earlier India was treated differently from other countries by Russia. Now it is dealt with in same way as any other country and that is what irks many in the Indian bureaucracy.

Now Indian defence contractors have to negotiate with the different departments in Russia which deal with exports and imports while at the same time haggle over the prices of military hardware.

"But probably the main factor that has become an obstacle to better relations is Delhi's growing closeness with the United States," says security expert Uday Bhaskar.

By Sunil Raman
BBC News, Delhi

[JK!]

Well its seems they are preparing for the shift by expanding their ties with other countries.

Last lot of ARRVs were bought from Poland not Russia.

[TOPGUN]

Hahahahahah lol !!! that was good i hope Russia cuts them em off for good!

[su-47]

Hahahahahah lol !!! that was good i hope Russia cuts them em off for good!

keep hoping. this is but a small speed bump in a shifting phase of relations. india and russia still have a lot of economic and military ties.


* PAKFA
* Reactors in Tamil Nadu
* Possibility of Gas/oil trade
* Naval deals including stealth frigates

the change that occured is that india is now a rising power and we no longer take russian inefficiencies like delays and cost overruns silently, like we did during the cold war era.

[salman nedian]

This is a good chance for Pakistan to normalize our relations with Russia. We can allow them our corridor of Gawadar since now India is more on US side.

[KENT]

This is a good chance for Pakistan to normalize our relations with Russia.

Normalizing relationship with russia is not simple as it may sound. If Russia ever try to do so then they also have to make sure that all their relationship with India will suffer a huge setback which is Russian are unlikely to gona sustain especially when various developed coutries in the world is seeing India as major Business and Corporate hub as well Industrial destination.

We can allow them our corridor of Gawadar since now India is more on US side.

From which route you gona allow them to have an access to gwadar.

[mujahideen]

From which route you gona allow them to have an access to gwadar.

As far as I am concerned their are two routes. The first one is through Afghanistan, but we all know what this will lead to. The other is through China.

[mujahideen]

Russia to ship fighters to India soon - reports

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will begin delivery in May of fighter jets to India for a long-delayed aircraft carrier it is refitting for sale to New Delhi, India's navy chief was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying on Friday.

"We are on the threshold of the delivery phase," Admiral Sureesh Mehta said on a visit to Russia, RIA news agency reported. "The first MiG-29K will be handed over in May of this year."

Under the $700 million contract, Russia has agreed to supply 16 carrier-based fighters, including 4 training aircraft, Interfax news agency reported. There is an option in the contract to supply an additional 30 fighters by 2015.

India, one of the biggest buyers of Russian weapons, has been upset by a set of delays to Russia's reconfiguration of the Admiral Gorshkov from a vertical-takeoff platform into a classic aircraft carrier.

Moscow has pushed back the delivery of the carrier from its Arctic port of Severodvinsk to India to 2012 and pushed up the price.

India is emerging as a leading weapons buyer, and is planning one of its biggest ever arms deals, a $10 billion purchase of 126 fighter jets. Russia is taking an active part in that tender.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Andrew Roche)

[Goodperson]

India are Russia are into business of Arms for money, business do not happen based on friendships anymore.

However policy formulations do happen based on history or friendships

Pakistan is of great disadvantage here she has history with Russians and do not have much money or economic power to turn tide towards itself.

Its amusing when see members here take pride when sparks arise during trade deals with India and Russia.

[Majnun]

This is a good chance for Pakistan to normalize our relations with Russia. We can allow them our corridor of Gawadar since now India is more on US side.

India isn't closer to USA. It is and always will remain closer to Russia.

[ak56]

There is no friendship, they are friends of Russia, because they get weapons for cheap money and get political support. We are close to china because we have the brains and they have the money to develop lastest weapons to have superiority over India.

Its like business, no sentiments.

[ak56]

Normalizing relationship with russia is not simple as it may sound. If Russia ever try to do so then they also have to make sure that all their relationship with India will suffer a huge setback which is Russian are unlikely to gona sustain especially when various developed coutries in the world is seeing India as major Business and Corporate hub as well Industrial destination.

That is what they will want, Russia china and Pakistan, all against India, we can squeze you guys.

[Goodperson]

That is what they will want, Russia china and Pakistan, all against India, we can squeze you guys.

Then start squeezing

No country is friend of other country my friend. It all boils down to economic needs.

[mujahideen]

India, Russia to sign deal on design of multi-role aircraft

MOSCOW: India and Russia will speed up their joint Multi-role Transport Aircraft (MTA) project by one year with the signing of a USD 8.5 million deal next month for starting work on design of the aircraft, Russian state media reported on Friday.

Russian arms exporting monopoly Rosoboronexport (ROE) and India's Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd (HAL) will ink a deal in April for developing a draft design of the MTA.

The deal will accelerate the USD 600 million MTA project by one year, said Viktor Livanov, director of aircraft manufacturer MAK Ilyushin, the Russian partner in the project.

Russia and India signed an intergovernmental agreement on the MTA project in January 2007.

India, Russia to sign deal on design of multi-role aircraft

[Tiki Tam Tam]

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That is what they will want, Russia china and Pakistan, all against India, we can squeze you guys.

Quite a squeezer!

And a dreamer to boot, too!!

And how will you squeeze?