Russia’s new foreign policy strategy identifies China, India as main allies
- In Reports
- 10:01 PM, Mar 31, 2023
- Myind Staff
Russia has identified India and China as its main allies on the world stage, according to a new foreign policy strategy adopted by President Vladimir Putin.
The new 42-page document singled out ties with China and India, stressing the importance of "the deepening of ties and coordination with friendly sovereign global centres of power and development located on the Eurasian continent."
According to the document, Russia will continue to build up a particularly privileged strategic partnership with 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.
"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," the document states.
It also sought a comprehensive settlement in Afghanistan, assistance in building it as a sovereign, peaceful and neutral state with a stable economy and political system that meets the interests of all the ethnic groups living there and opens up prospects for integrating Afghanistan into the Eurasian space for cooperation.
India and Russia maintained a close strategic, military, economic, and diplomatic interaction during the Cold War. Both Russia and India refer to this alliance as being unique and privileged.
Russia has been the largest supplier of weapons to India, accounting for nearly 50 percent of the latter's arms imports from 2016-2020.
India has maintained a neutral stance over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which completed a year on February 24. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has advocated for a peaceful resolution to the conflict through dialogue.
Image source: ANI
Comments