NSA Ajit Doval meets Russian counterpart in Moscow ahead of Modi's visit, discusses Kashmir

India and Russia held detailed discussions on Kashmir and the regional situation on Wednesday at very high levels as NSA Ajit Doval travelled to Moscow for talks with his counterpart, Nikolai Patrushev. The visit also comes a few days before prime minister Narendra modi is scheduled to visit Vladivostok for the Eastern Economic Forum in the first week of September.
According to an official readout, the talks covered “bilateral cooperation between the two National Security Councils as well as regional and international issues.”
India expected Russia to oppose China’s move for a discussion on Kashmir at the UNSC, which Russia did not.But their position was clarified both the day after the Modi government executed their decision and at the UNSC — the Putin government emphasised that the Article 370 decision was an internal matter and Kashmir was a subject of bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan. Moscow also opposed any public statement by the UNSC on the Kashmir issue last weekend, a move that China pushed.
Russia remains one of India’s most trusted relationships in the strategic and security spheres. Counter-terrorism is among the top areas of cooperation. This is important not merely in the region but in Afghanistan, where both countries want deeper cooperation. Russia and India have their differences in Afghanistan, particularly on the Taliban.
The government statement says, “both sides reaffirmed their intention to intensify counter terrorism cooperation. The longstanding position of both sides on importance of their bilateral consultations and mutual support for principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference of third parties was reiterated.”
Doval also met Dmitry Rogozin, currently director of ROSCOSMOS — India and Russia are working in the sphere of space and India’s ambitious Gaganyaan programme. Space will be one of the top areas of discussion between Modi and Putin at Vladivostok where in addition to the EEF, India and Russia will hold their annual bilateral summit as well.