'Stable Cong-led govt to boost Indo-Russian strategic ties'

Vinay Shukla

Moscow, May 16 (PTI) The return to power of the
Congress-led government in India will boost the bilateral
"strategic partnership" between New Delhi and Moscow, a top
Russian expert on India said Saturday.

"The new Indian government enjoying a popular verdict
will have a more focused and pragmatic Russia policy and is
expected to further cement bilateral strategic partnership,"
said Dr Tatiana Shaumyan, the Director of Centre for Indian
Studies of the Russian Science Academy.

Dr Shaumyan underscored that it was Congress
government of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, which after
India's Independence adopted the policy of fostering
friendship and cooperation with Russia's predecessor the
Soviet Union.

"Our relations have survived all the changes in our
countries, sometimes even dramatic, and have remained top
foreign policy priority for the Kremlin and South Block even
after change of guards. The reason is simple, the bilateral
ties are based on vital common national interests and threat
perceptions," Dr Shaumyan underlined.

According to her, the defence, security cooperation
will further develop under the new Congress-led UPA
government, which will also take a fresh look to cement
economic interaction by energetically utilising new
opportunities and openings amid the global downturn.

Dr Shaumyan was confident that instead of wasting time
and energy on appeasing coalition partners and compromising on
domestic and foreign policy, the new government with
resounding popular verdict will further "cement bilateral
strategic partnership."

She is one of the few Russian experts who do not see
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's focused involvement with
Washington over the nuclear deal and access to sensitive
technology as a signal of India jumping on the American
bandwagon.

"I think the UPA government will continue to pursue
the independent and pragmatic foreign policy of equidistancing
between Moscow and Washington and improving ties with China on
bilateral and multilateral formats," Dr Shaumyan noted. PTI VS
SAK
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