NEW DELHI: India's friendship with Russia is "higher than the highest mountain and deeper than the deepest ocean," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday.
Both leaders expressed that the partnership between the two countries holds immense potential and that combined efforts will pave the way for remarkable outcomes, an Indian readout of the meeting stated.
"During the meeting, Rajnath Singh said 'friendship between our countries is higher than the highest mountain and deeper than the deepest ocean,'" the Defence Ministry readout said.
Singh conveyed to Putin that India has always supported its Russian friends and will continue to do so in the future, the readout added.
Singh called on Putin after co-chairing the 21st session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) with Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both ministers 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," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Rajnath added that "the ties have further strengthened with the recent exchanges, including two visits by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia in 2024."
Notably, Putin and Modi met bilaterally in Moscow in July and later at the BRICS summit in Kazan in October. Putin is also scheduled to visit India next year for the annual summit talks with PM Modi.
The Defence Minister also highlighted India's commitment to enhancing the capabilities of its domestic defence industry across various domains and fostering industrial collaboration.
Rajnath "stressed new opportunities for enhancing the participation of Russian industries in the 'Make in India' projects" and "reiterated India's commitment to its Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership with Russia."
In his discussions with Belousov, Singh pressed for expediting the supply of the two remaining units of the S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems to India. Official sources confirmed Singh’s strong pitch for accelerating the delivery of these systems.
The Russian Defence Minister underscored the importance of deepening the relationship between the two countries, which is based on mutual trust.
Belousov further stated that the operationalisation of the Military Technical Cooperation agreement for 2021-31 will provide the necessary impetus to 'Make in India'.
The agreement, signed during the inaugural meeting of the India-Russia 2+2 Dialogue in Delhi on December 6, 2021, is currently in the process of being brought into force.
Prior to the meeting, the Defence Minister inspected the Guard of Honour at the Russian Defence Ministry in Central Moscow.
The agreement reflects the interest of both governments to further develop and strengthen military and technical cooperation, focusing on research and development, production, and after-sales support for armament systems and military equipment. The two countries also regularly exchange armed forces personnel and conduct military exercises.
India and Russia have an institutionalised structure overseeing a wide range of military and technical cooperation. The India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC), established in 2000, is at the apex of this structure.
The two Defence Ministers meet annually, alternating between Russia and India, to discuss and review the status of ongoing projects and other cooperation issues. The 20th edition of this meeting took place in Delhi on December 6, 2021.
The IRIGC-MTC has two Working Groups and nine Sub-Groups that review and discuss various military and technical issues. Rajnath Singh invited Minister Belousov to visit India to co-chair the 22nd session of the IRIGC-M&MTC in 2025, and the invitation was accepted.
Singh embarked on a three-day trip to Russia on Sunday.
On Monday, Singh attended the commissioning of a Russian-manufactured guided missile frigate into the Indian Navy at Russia's coastal city of Kaliningrad.
Before his meeting on Tuesday, Rajnath laid a wreath at 'The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier' in Moscow to honour Soviet soldiers who died during World War II.
(With additional inputs from agenices)