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Renewing an old friendship
Since Moscow has unveiled engagement with Islamabad, India too, is looking for more allies. If on the one hand Delhi is eyeing the prospect of an alliance with Washington, at the same time it is seeking to expand its traditional ties with Moscow.
Much water has flown in the Volga and the Ganga since the end of the Cold war. It has been followed by the advent of Perestroika in Russia, its disintegration and the beginning of economic reforms in India.
Strong political alliance between the two countries, backed by stronger economic relations during the Cold war years, lay dormant during the early 90s. While the political ties between the two countries have cemented again, there has been a fall in the level of economic interaction and trade volumes between the two states in the post Cold war era.
Changing equations
The winds of change swept away the old world systems of India and Russia and redefined the equations that led to form the new world order.
Some of the key changes included India's new found ties with the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, Caucas nations of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia along Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The post Cold war period also saw a positive reorientation in India-US and Russia-US ties besides a growth in relationship with China of both countries.
In the international arena, Russia has continued to support India in its initiatives that include its bid for the permanent Security Council membership at the UN, the Kashmir issue, fight against international terrorism and other key international issues.
However at the same time, in a wish to broad-base its ties with the subcontinent, Moscow has also engaged with Islamabad in the last few years. This, however, is not a standalone development, while seeking to expand on the traditional strategic ties with Moscow, New Delhi is also eyeing the prospects of an alliance with Washington.
