India, Russia reaffirm commitment to enhance defence cooperation

The development came during a meeting between Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar and Russia’s Deputy Defence Minister Colonel-General Alexander Fomin.

India and Russia on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to boost bilateral defence cooperation during a meeting between Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar and Russia’s Deputy Defence Minister Colonel-General Alexander Fomin.

PM Modi (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (PTI/Representative)

According to a statement by the Russian Ministry of Defence, the Indian envoy called on Col-Gen Fomin, who is in charge of international defence cooperation, and the meeting was held in a “warm and friendly atmosphere, customary for Russian-Indian ties”.

“During the conversation, the two sides discussed in detail the pertinent issues of bilateral interaction in the sphere of defence and confirmed their intent toward the further strengthening of relevant cooperation in the spirit of particularly privileged strategic partnership,” said the statement.

The meeting took place amid US President Donald Trump's threats to slap harsh sanctions on India for buying crude oil from Russia.