Rajnath meets counterpart in Russia: The key issues on his agenda

The two nations are celebrating 70 years of diplomatic ties that have recently been strained

Home Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Moscow on Sunday for a three-day visit. The high-level visit is going to focus on strategic and security partnerships between the two countries. 

He was received by State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Igor Zubov at the Vnukovo International Airport.

Singh held discussions with Vladimir Kolokoltsev, minister for internal affairs of the Russian Federation and other senior Russian leadership.

Combating terrorism

The pact on tackling terrorism and organised crime, to be signed between the two countries, is concerned with the exchange and sharing of information, expertise, best practices and help in curbing terrorism and enhancing security in the region, a home ministry official said.

The two countries are celebrating 70 years of establishing diplomatic relations with each other. This is said to be significant in the backdrop of India's worsening ties with its neighbours. In the first 9 months of 2017, Pakistan committed 105 ceasefire violations. Also, the release of Hafeez Saeed from house arrest, the brain behind 26/11 is being seen as a posturing by Pakistan to overtly provoke India.

The Livemint quoted a senior govt official as saying India needs to look at bilateral and multilateral alternatives to deal with terror that originates from Pakistani soil.

Interestingly, Singh was scheduled to visit Russia on September 18, 2016. Unfortunately, he had to cancel it following a terror attack on that day at the Brigade headquarters in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 19 Army soldiers were killed. 

Bilateral meeting between Vladimir Kolokolstsev and rajnath Sngh. Photo: Twitter(@IndEmbMoscow)

 

Resolving a strain

As reported earlier by Business Standard, Indo-Russia ties were in a crisis in early November, when a team of US Navy officials visiting India were said to have been allowed to inspect Soviet-made INS Chakra, a nuclear-capable submarine leased to India for a decade, starting 2012. 

The US delegation was also invited aboard INS Vikramaditya, the Soviet-era carrier that served in the Russian navy as Admiral Gorshkov.

The report came at a time when New Delhi and Moscow are discussing the lease of another nuclear-capable submarine after Chakra's term ends in 2022.

Battling narcotics

Singh will also sign a joint action plan between India's Narcotics Control Bureau and the Russian Interior Ministry.