Phir bhi lal topi rusi for emergent india

Phir bhi lal topi rusi for emergent india

The India-Russia annual bilateral summit has sent out a clear message that India will pursue an independent foreign policy. The present government does the right thing by continuing with India’s long-standing policy of defending and expanding its strategic autonomy, even as it builds alliances with powers that see one another as rivals. The Modi-Putin summit involves heavy-duty testing of the US sanctions regime against Russia, on top of India’s claim for exemption from US sanctions against Iran, for its purchases of oil.

A significant outcome of the summit is finalising India’s purchase of Russian S-400 Triumf advanced air defence system, actively discouraged by the US. India would have done the needed diplomatic spadework to avoid falling foul of America’s August 2017 law, Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Though US Defence Secretary James Mattis made it clear that the American government accepts India’s position on deals with Russia, there has been no public offer of final clarity on the subject. The deal signals not just India’s independent foreign policy but also the durability of Indo-Russian ties, even in the face of the recent warmth between Russia and China, which also has obtained S-400s from Russia. The summit also reflects India’s assertion of its global relevance, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, as a counterweight to China. Besides defence, the summit also produced deals on gas, oil and nuclear energy.

This summit, following the informal summit in Sochi in May, is an important step to redefine and bolster the bilateral relationship, which had appeared to have weakened as New Delhi built strong partnerships with other countries such as the US. It serves to underscore India’s commitment to a multipolar world.