Gas And The Greater Game

Indian diplomacy during Putins visit was masterful, but defence cooperation alone cannot sustain the relationshipmore economic content is vital.

- P.Stobdan

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi continues to tack on the highly modified foreign policy course begun by his Wuhan initiative with China. The outcome of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit has been dramatic: not only has the government set right India's waning ties with Russia, it has also stood for reaffirming India's strategic autonomy. This was a diplomatic masterstroke; Indian foreign policy seemed to have regained its rigour and our mandarins learnt to play the new global power game rather skilfully.

Visibly, the comfort level between Putin and Modi exuded the bonhomie gained after their six-hour informal ‘agenda-less’ talks in Sochi last may when they had thrashed out most of the critical issues. Pm Modi's pronouncement that ties with Russia are “top priority” is a change from his earlier foreign policy team virtually dismissing Russia as a spent force. interestingly, according to one former official, even Manmohan Singh, after years of hobnobbing with Washington, finally felt more at home in Moscow when he was there in October 2013 for the 14th annual summit.

Of course, the spotlight this time was on the procurement of the S–400 air defence system. But the contract deal was concluded without much fanfare and without giving any impression that New Delhi was under pressure from the US. Yet, only a single-line paragraph is devoted to the deal in the 550-word joint statement text, while the fate of other defence transactions—the four Krivak/Talwar frigates, 48 mi-17 helicopters, 200 Ka-226 helicopters, and AK-103 assault rifles production—does not even figure.