India/Russia: agreement for energy – The Figaro

The Russian president Vladimir Putin and indian Prime minister Narendra Modi are expected to sign Saturday agreements in the fields of energy and defence, a sign of deepening relations between their two countries.

Mr Putin will meet Mr Modi on his arrival in the tourist indian State of Goa for a summit of the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). Among the agreements to be signed include the delivery to Moscow of its newest system of air defence in New Delhi. India, world’s largest importer in terms of defense, is conducting an upgrade of its military equipment dating from the soviet era, to the tune of 100 billion dollars (91 billion euros), in order to protect its borders with Pakistan, its sworn enemy, and of a China that is increasingly confident.

MESSRS. Modi and Putin will also sign energy agreements, in order to meet the growing needs of fuel and electricity to the indian economy, growing fast. The largest company, Russian oil, Rosneft, should acquire the indian Essar Oil for several billion dollars, according to media reports indian. “It’s more than a relationship, it’s a partnership that has rightly been described by both leaders as special and privileged, as well as strategic, of course”, explained the ambassador of India in Russia, Pankaj Saran, during a press conference. He did not give details on the contracts to be signed, but praised the “partnership” Russian-indian “very deep and very intense”, “expected to strengthen even more”.

According to the Russian media, MR. Putin and Modi are expected to seal an agreement for the delivery to Moscow of the system of anti-aircraft missiles S-400, the most modern of Russia.
The S-400 has recently been deployed in the Syria war, where Russia leads an air campaign to support the regime of syrian president Bashar al-Assad, its ally of long date.
During the cold War, India was the closest military ally of the soviet Union and one of the most important importers of its military equipment. But in recent years, New Delhi had turned to the United States for its military supplies.
The Brics, which account for 53% of the world population and approximately 16,000 billion dollars of GDP, constituted in 2011, to counterbalance the West in the management of the affairs of the world.