Indian Army, Russia boost defence ties at 4th IRIGC meet in St Petersburg

Indian Army strengthens ties with Russian Land Forces at the 4th Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission (IRIGC) Sub Working Group (Land) meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia from June 25 to 27.

The interaction between the Two Armies focused on enhancing bilateral Defence Cooperation, including exchanges in niche technologies such as Drones, C-UAS, Electronic Warfare, and operational logistics equipment.

The event also included a visit to Mikhailovskaya Artillery Academy and the 56th Guards District Training Centre, Leningradsky Military District, the Indian Army said.

Strengthening the bilateral defence engagement further, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in Qingdao, China.

The meeting came shortly after Singh arrived at the venue on Thursday, where he was received by Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun. Upon his arrival, Singh joined Admiral Dong and other participating leaders for a group photograph ahead of the official proceedings. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif arrived at the venue after Singh.

The SCO Defence Ministers' meeting, being held from June 25 to 26, brings together member states to discuss key regional and global security issues. The discussions are expected to focus on international and regional peace and security, counter-terrorism cooperation, and enhanced collaboration among the defence ministries of SCO member states.

In a press release, the Ministry of Defence stated, "Defence Ministry is expected to highlight India's continued commitment to the principles and mandate of the SCO, outline India's vision towards achieving greater international peace & security, call for joint & consistent efforts to eliminate terrorism & extremism in the region, and stress on the need for greater trade, economic cooperation and connectivity within SCO. He will also hold bilateral meetings with the Defence Ministers of some participating countries, including China and Russia, on the sidelines of the meeting."

India, the Ministry noted, places special importance on the SCO as a platform for promoting multilateralism and cooperation across politics, security, economy, and people-to-people ties in the region.

"SCO pursues its policy based on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity of nations, non-interference in internal affairs, mutual respect, understanding and equality of all member states," the Ministry added.

The SCO is an intergovernmental organisation established in 2001. India became a full member in 2017 and held the rotating chairmanship in 2023. Member countries include India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. China has assumed the Chair of the SCO for 2025 under the theme "Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move.