(The New Indian Express)
Russia once again expressed its solidarity with India on the terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh discussed cross-border terrorism and defence cooperation in a bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao, China on Thursday.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Friday informed that Singh also held bilateral meetings with the defence ministers of Belarus, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, with India’s fight against terrorism in the wake of Operation Sindoor among the common issues discussed.
The Singh-Belousov meeting included in-depth discussions on a range of subjects, covering current geopolitical situations, cross-border terrorism, and Indo-Russian defence cooperation. The MoD said key topics also included the “supply of S-400 systems, Su-30 MKI upgrades, and procurement of critical military hardware in expeditious timeframes”.
The S-400 advanced air defence system has the capability of targeting threats up to 400 km. It was deployed during Operation Sindoor.
The contract for five missile systems was inked in 2018 for around `35,000 crore. India has so far received three squadrons of the air defence system, which are operationalised and deployed along the borders with China and Pakistan.
The Russian defence minister highlighted the long-standing Indo-Russian ties which have stood the test of time and expressed solidarity with India on the horrendous and cowardly terrorist act in Pahalgam.
It was one of the critical recent meetings between the two leaders, held in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor and the consequent necessity of augmenting defence production, especially in critical items such as air defence, air-to-air missiles, modern capabilities, and upgrades to air platforms.
Singh also used the occasion on Thursday to separately meet the defence ministers of Belarus, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. “The defence minister highlighted the importance of continued engagement in defence cooperation and exploring new opportunities for technical collaboration, also highlighting rapid advances made by India in defence production and achieving self-reliance,” the MoD said.
