“Delivery of the best S-400 systems is going well on schedule,” Alipov said. Notably, India had signed the $5.43 billion deal with Russia for five S-400 squadrons in October 2018.
He made the remarks in a foreword to the special edition of Russia Digest magazine.
Alipov said the multidimensional cooperation between India and Russia is one of the most elaborate in the world and the countries have succeeded in “building up genuine friendship and mutual trust”, exemplified by many milestones.
The remarks further coincide with the occasion of Russia’s National Day, June 12, the Russian Embassy in India said on its website.
The year 2022 marks both 75 years of Indian independence and the 75th anniversary of Russian-Indian diplomatic relations, established in April 1947.
Speaking about the milestones reached in relations between the two countries, Alipov wrote about the industrialization and construction of power plants in India with Soviet assistance in the 1950s-1960s, the establishment of the Indian Institute of technology in Bombay in 1958, the groundbreaking Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation in 1971, the flight of India’s first cosmonaut on the “Soyuz T-11” spacecraft in 1984, the declaration of strategic partnership in 2000 and many ‘others.
“Today’s Russian-Indian multidimensional cooperation is one of the most elaborate in the world with regular meetings of the two intergovernmental commissions, sectoral ministerial dialogues, security advisers and senior officials, consultations and coordination foreign ministries on the world stage, complemented by various business, cultural and people-to-people contacts,” he wrote.
The ambassador pointed out that Russia and India were among the first in the world to establish the practice of annual bilateral summits. The XXI Summit in December 2021 in New Delhi was held in person, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and the introduction of the “2+2” ministerial format became another milestone, he added.
“Our positions on fundamental issues remain similar or coincide, emphasizing the need to maintain the central role of the United Nations towards fair and equal multipolarity and opposing unilateral and confrontational approaches. We pursue close coordination on the BRICS agenda as well as the G20 and the SCO, which India will chair in 2022-2023,” he continued.
Russia and India continue to successfully implement flagship initiatives, which make our cooperation unprecedented, Alipov stressed in his foreword to the magazine.
The Ambassador has written at length about these initiatives. Among them are the construction of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant and the advanced defense links under the “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” programs such as the manufacture of AK-203 rifles, combat aviation and production main battle tanks as well as frigates, submarines, Brahmos and other missile projects. Delivery of the top S-400 systems is proceeding well on schedule, Alipov wrote.
In the foreword, the Russian Ambassador also covered bilateral trade and cooperation between the two countries.
“With bilateral trade volumes increasing by more than 45% in 2021, this positive trend is complemented in 2022 by intensified cooperation in energy and fertilizers,” he wrote.
In addition, he said that priority was given to the Far Eastern and Arctic dimensions, the implementation of the North-South Transport Corridor project and a speedy conclusion of the FTA between the Eurasian Economic Union and the EU. ‘India.
“Along with ongoing projects in connectivity, diamond processing, forestry, health and pharmaceuticals, tourism, railways, metallurgy, civil aviation, shipbuilding, oil refining and petrochemicals, there are many new opportunities for Indian companies in the Russian market, especially against the backdrop of disengagement of many Western companies,” he added.
Alipov said Russia “deeply cherishes equal and respectful relations” with India. Continuing, the Ambassador noted that cooperation between India and Russia plays the role of a determining factor for peace, stability and sustainable development in the world.
“We are confident in the future of our bilateral relations and are ready to move forward using their potential and exploring new horizons for the benefit of the peoples of our two friendly nations,” he said, expressing confidence in bilateral relations between India and Russia.
Concluding his foreword, the Ambassador said that Russia will continue to strive to strengthen international peace and ensure global security and stability with a view to establishing a fair and democratic international system that deals with global problems on the basis of collective decision-making, the rule of international law, indivisible security and the generally accepted principles of equal rights, mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs.
