Indian Council of World Affairs

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

I commend the ICWA and MGIMO for convening today’s meeting and look forward to an intellectually enriching exchange of views on topical questions of global and regional significance. 

The Russia-India strategic partnership, which turned 25 last month, in our view, has become a stabilizing factor in Eurasian affairs as well as a foundational framework for our two countries. It is an testimony to the fact that our national interests are naturally interlinked in many ways. These relations have always been equal, uninterrupted and mutually beneficial, built on trust and respect – that makes their upward trajectory irreversible and helps us to constructively coordinate our approaches in the international arena. 

Such kind of relationship is increasingly in demand globally especially as we navigate through an unprecedented turbulence. Attempts by the Western powers to impose neocolonial order and entrench unilateralism, provoke conflicts and trade wars to retain dominance reveal their unwillingness to accept the emerging multipolarity. 

Illegal sanctions are a tool of the West to contain the growing clout of India and sow discord between Moscow and New Delhi. The latest notorious instance in this regard is the inclusion of Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil in the US Treasury’s proscribed list. We appreciate that India does not recognize illegitimate restrictions that bypass the UN Security Council’s authority. Such measures undermine confidence in Western financial and trade infrastructure and encourage others to seek alternative mechanisms.  

Against this backdrop, reforms of global governance and recognition of a new role of the Global South in the world economy and politics become a matter of priority. A rising profile of BRICS and the SCO, which offer depoliticized pragmatic cooperation, helps to reduce external dependencies.

In recent years in particular, BRICS has seen a surge in popularity across the Global South with its membership doubling. We welcome India’s upcoming presidency in 2026. We also cherish India’s commitment to a comprehensive dialogue based on universal principles of the UN Charter and international law as the only viable option for building trust, finding sustainable solutions and creating favorable conditions for progressive development. We support India’s intention to build on past achievements including cooperation through the New Development Bank. We see a lot of promise in promoting BRICS cross-border payment initiative, depository and clearing infrastructure, reinsurance mechanism, New Investment Platform and BRICS Grain Exchange. Our common goal is to provide alternative options  for emerging countries that will be available to them regardless of where the geopolitical winds blow. 

The 25th SCO summit in China in September this year had a positive impact on regional politics. It witnessed a warm and constructive atmosphere and the commitment by the leaders to closer engagement in Eurasia. We look forward to India’s impactful engagement at the upcoming SCO meeting of the Heads of Government on November 17-18 in Moscow. It will happen against the backdrop of Russia promoting its flagship Great Eurasian Partnership initiative aiming to create a shared benefit for all regional countries and their associations. 

An important step in this direction will be the resumption of the Russia-India-China trilateral dialogue in order to identify common ground and explore opportunities for cooperation. Engagement facilitates better understanding of mutual concerns and sensitivities and makes Eurasia more secure, prosperous and interconnected. Russia welcomes the normalization between India and China and expects that everyone will win from closer engagement between the two Asian giants. 

I am pleased to note that in the past 25 years the Russia-India special and strategic partnership has been solid, coherent and robust. We maintain a high pace of political contacts, our leaders have developed warm personal ties. Important bilateral mechanisms such as sessions of the Inter-Governmental commissions, parliamentary dialogue, Foreign Ministers and National Security Advisors interactions, military exercises and counter-terrorism engagements are taking place regularly and produce practical results. 

Over the past several years, Russia has become India’s fourth largest trading partner with the turnover crossing USD 70 bn in 2024, and a leading supplier of energy, fertilizers, and agricultural products. In nuclear energy, while others talk the talk, we walk the walk: Russia is India’s only foreign partner that actually builds here nuclear power plants. Long-standing defence cooperation has made Russia a partner of choice of the Indian armed forces; this relationship is now growing in consonance with “Make in India” and self-reliance initiatives.  

Russia stands ready to meet New Delhi’s demand for cutting-edge solutions in space exploration, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cybersecurity and the development of the Arctic resources. The expansion of educational services is encouraging with the number of Indian students in Russia exceeding 30,000. Among current and future areas of cooperation, I can name infrastructure development, railways and transport engineering, metallurgy, civil aircraft manufacturing and shipbuilding, chemical and petrochemical industries, fintech, smart cities, water management and mobile employment. 

In conclusion, I would like to highlight the upcoming 23rd bilateral summit in December and the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India. It will be an auspicious opportunity to take our strategic partnership forward and set out new frontiers to expand mutually beneficial ties in all areas.

I thank you.

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