Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has commenced a three-day visit to Russia during.
Which he is likely to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin and also witness the commissioning of a Russian-made stealth warship, INS Tushil, into the Indian Navy. As per the Indian Embassy in Moscow, the Defence Minister arrived in the Russian capital on Sunday night and was received by Ambassador Vinay Kumar and Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin.
The commissioning of the Russian-manufactured INS Tushil will take place today at the Yantra Shipyard in Kaliningrad. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi will accompany Rajnath Singh at the ceremony.
The multirole stealth-guided missile frigate has been billed as one of the most technologically advanced warships globally. It is expected to significantly bolster the Indian Navy’s operational capability in the Indian Ocean.
On Tuesday, the Defence Minister and his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov will co-chair the 21st meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) in Moscow.
According to an official statement from the Defence Ministry, Rajnath Singh and Belousov will review the entire range of multi-faceted relations between the two countries in the field of defence, including military-to-military and industrial cooperation.
“They will also exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest,” it added. Apart from reviewing ongoing defence projects, a key focus of discussions will be on the delivery of the remaining two units of the Russian S-400 Triumf air defence system, widely regarded as one of the most advanced in the world.
The procurement of five units of the S-400 air defence system was finalised in 2018 when India and Russia signed a $5.43 billion deal. Also on Tuesday, Rajnath Singh will pay tribute to Soviet soldiers at the ‘Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’ in Moscow and interact with the Indian community.
Although the Indian Embassy’s post said that the Union Minister would call on President Putin, there were no immediate details on the day or venue of the meeting. Rajnath Singh’s trip comes months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia in October.
During the visit, PM Modi attended the 22nd India-Russia Summit and also participated in the two-day Brics Summit in Kazan, where he also held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.