India’s friendship with Russia is deeper than deepest ocean: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Russian President Vladimir Putin during his three-day visit to Russia, emphasizing the deep India-Russia friendship, which he described as “higher than the highest mountain and deeper than the deepest ocean.”

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday (Dec 10) called on Russian President Vladimir Putin and told him that India’s friendship with Russia is “higher than the highest mountain and deeper than the deepest ocean.” Rajnath Singh, is on a 3-day visit to Russia that culminated on Tuesday.

During the meeting, Putin and Singh “expressed that the partnership between the two countries holds immense potential and that combined efforts will pave the way for remarkable outcomes,” a statement from the Indian defence ministry said.

The defence minister also told him that India has always supported its Russian friends and will continue to do so.

The meeting took place after Singh co-chaired the 21st session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) with his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov.

At the IRIGC-M&MTC, they signed the protocol for the 21st IRIGC-M&MTC, highlighting ongoing and prospective areas of cooperation.

Rajnath “emphasised that the India-Russia relationship is very strong and has lived up to the responsibilities of a special and privileged strategic partnership.” 

It is pertinent to mention here that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met twice in the last 6 months – in Moscow in July and during the BRICS summit in Kazan in October. 

Vladimir Putin is scheduled to pay an official visit to India next year.

In his meeting with his Russian counterpart, Rajnath Singh vouched for the delivery of the two remaining units of the S-400 air defence systems to India. 

Upon his arrival, the defence minister commissioned the Russian-built guided missile frigate INS Tushil into the Indian Navy at Russia's coastal city of Kaliningrad on Monday, in the presence of Indian Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi.