New Delhi: After months of walking the tight-rope, India on Friday inked a $5 billion deal to purchase the much-vaunted S-400 air defence system from Russia, amidst US warnings of punitive sanctions against nations doing “significant” business with Moscow.
A top Indian official said: “Now that the contract is signed, I presume the time-line (for the payment mechanism) has to be fairly soon.”
The official also asserted that the negotiations for S-400 precede US sanctions against Russia by a long period. “It is fulfils a certain defence requirement of the country and, therefore, the government has taken the decision, obviously, in the national interest,” he said. A joint statement issued after the summit said,”the sides welcomed the conclusion of the contract for the supply of the S-400 Long Range Surface to Air Missile System to India,” the only reference to the deal. Russian news agency TASS also confirmed the the deal was signed, quoting Russian presidential spokesman Dmitri Peskov as saying, it was concluded “on the sidelines of the visit.”
The defence deal is the first for India to have with Russia after the imposition of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act by Washington against Moscow in August last year. During the 19th annual summit, Modi and Putin discussed ways to boost the strategic partnership in key areas, including defence, counter-terrorism, energy and space.
India and Russia also signed eight other pacts, including one on cooperation on India's ambitious human space mission project Gaganyaan, after Modi and Putin held one-on-one and delegation-level talks. “The decisions taken today will further enhance our cooperation and contribute to the restoration of peace and stability in this challenging world,” Modi said at a joint press event with Putin.
“Our two countries have common interests in cooperating on countering terrorism, on developments in Afghanistan and Indo Pacific, climate change, and in organisations such as the SCO, BRICS, the G20 and ASEAN,” Modi said.
The prime minister also said Russia has assured India of full cooperation in India's human spaceflight programme Gaganyaan. Putin said the two countries have agreed to step up cooperation in combating the menace of terrorism and drug trafficking.
The joint statement also said that the two sides agreed to converge their efforts to eradicate terrorist networks, their sources of financing, arms and fighters supply channels, to counter terrorist ideology, propaganda and recruitment.
They also condemned all kinds of state support to terrorists and providing safe havens to terrorists and their network. India has been accusing Pakistan of indulging in cross-border terrorism and giving support to groups operating from its soil to target neighbouring countries.
The strong statement denouncing cross-border terrorism assumes significance in the wake of India's long-standing ally Russia warming up to Pakistan recently. Apart from the defence deal, pacts were also inked in the fields of space, nuclear energy, railways and space.
