India goes into a huddle with Russia (re:Declaration of Strategic Partnership)

hindustantimes.com ^ | Moscow/New Delhi, May 19 2002 | HTC and Agencies

[AM2000]

As war clouds gather over the sub-continent, there are indications of India invoking provisions of the 1993 Friendship Treaty and the 2000 Declaration of Strategic Partnership with Russia. Urgent security consultations between the two countries are likely.

Diplomatic and Russian official sources here confirmed that shortly after the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security in New Delhi on Saturday, India's Ambassador K. Raghunath called on Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov for consultations.

It is believed that Raghunath passed on conclusive proof of Pakistan's direct involvement in last Tuesday's attack in Jammu and shared other sensitive information with Russia.

Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Raghunath said, "I had a meeting with Losuykov. It was a routine meeting but matters of common interest, including the situation in the region, were discussed."

The Indo-Russian bilateral pacts signed during the then President Boris Yeltsin's India visit in 1993 and President Vladimir Putin's visit in 2000, provide for urgent consultations between the two countries in case of threat to the security of one or the other party and close co-operation in jointly removing this threat.

Kremlin officials said a security dialogue between Moscow and New Delhi at various levels on core issues of national security and combating international terrorism was a continuing process.

[AM2000]

ping

[AM2000]

ping

[swarthyguy]

I see your Saudi and raise you a Bear.

The Chinese dragon smokes inscrutably in the corner.

[Shermy]

They both sit aside to China at the poker table. Gotta make sure China doesn't pocket some chips, or slip an ace to Pakistan.

[swarthyguy]

Some reports have claimed all of Pakistan's nukes are Chinese. Content to keep things hot in India, the last thing the Chinese would want would be jihadis escaping through Kashmir into China.

[denydenydeny]

Bertolt Brecht said it.

[Savage Beast]

Good! India is a natural ally of the U.S., Russia, and the other nations of the Western Alliance. Altogether, we will contain Islam and convince China of the wisdom of allying with the West and not competing with it. The future of the world looks bright--so long as the U.S. maintains its huge military and economic advantage.

[mikeIII]

Good assessment! The Chinese will one day turn back on communism. The Mooselimbs, hiwever, will likely remain mired in the 7th century. I also agree on maintaining our military and economic superiority.

[lavaroise]

India is about to get converted.

[GOP_1900AD]

Here's my bet (contrarian and historical traditionalist as usual). India will soon discover the innate geopolitical strictures to an agreement made well before her current rightest regime came to power, and well before it became clear that the Moscow - Beijing mutual defense pact trumped all other rhetorical nonesense on 7/16/2001. At the end of the day, Moscow gives Beijing ICBM cover in return for the use of the world's largest army, Moscow enables Beijing to become aggressive against US allies and interests in Asia due to the implied ICBM threat and promises of naval interdiction in the North Pacific. In view of all of this, India would be wise to give the US a choice - "partner with us boldly now, or, witness a series of geopolitical disasters from which no recovery shall be possible."

Fog cutter here...