Russia’s interest in India

How they can benefit from each other

How significant is India’s position in the Russian scheme of things for Asia and the rest of the world can be understood from the fact that both top leaders of that country have found time to visit New Delhi this year. President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit has come about after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s dialogue with Indian leaders in March. Russia apparently does not want to lose time to get as much economic gains as possible from the fast growing nuclear power industry in India. Russia, which has already been cooperating with India in two nuclear power projects in Tamil Nadu, has been having discussions with the Indian authorities for two more such projects in the same state — Kudankulam III and Kudankulam IV. But certain provisions in India’s newly enacted nuclear liability law are coming in the way. President Medvedev is likely to bring to bear upon India that its law relating to the nuclear industry must be in consonance with the 1963 Vienna Convention. India has its own viewpoint that the law cannot be allowed to have loopholes to deny adequate compensation to victims of a nuclear accident if it ever happens.

But nuclear energy is not the only area where the two countries can help each other. Russia has vast gas and oil reserves and India needs these for meeting its fast growing power requirement. India has joined the gas pipeline project along with Afghanistan and Pakistan to bring gas from Turkmenistan. Russia does not want to be left behind, as the impending talks between the Indian leadership and the Russian President may indicate.

There are certain other subjects about which there is commonality of views between the two countries. How to go about fighting terrorism emanating from the Af-Pak area is one such issue. In this regard India and Russia need to discuss a joint strategy for post-July 2011 Afghanistan in view of the scheduled departure of the US-led NATO troops from there. Iran may offer its help to both India and Russia to protect their interests in Afghanistan. How far Iran can be allowed to join the Indo-Russian strategy should be discussed during Medvedev’s New Delhi visit

source; the tribune