India Asks Russia to Stop Military Cooperation With Pakistan

India’s message about Russian military operations with Pakistan comes days before annual bilateral meeting.

Russian soldiers arrive in Pakistan on 22 September 2016 for a joint military operation. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@AsimBajwaSPR)

Days before a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Indian government has asked Russia to stop its joint military operations with Pakistan.

Last week, Russia simultaneously held military drills with Russia and Pakistan. Russia’s joint military exercises with Pakistan haven’t gone well with India.

Also Read: Russia Holding Military Drills With India & Pak at the Same Time

Indian Ambassador to Russia Pankaj Saran said in an interview to Russian news agency Ria Novosti:

We have conveyed our views to the Russian side that military cooperation with Pakistan, which is a state that sponsors and practises terrorism as a matter of state policy, is a wrong approach and it will only create further problems.

Also Read: India Has Right to Defend Itself: Russia Backs Surgical Strikes

Modi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Putin in Goa on 14 October. Two days after the India-Russia bilateral meet, Putin will attend the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) meet on 16 October, also in Goa.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on 20 July 2016. (Photo: IANS)

India and Russia flagged off the eighth edition of their joint military exercise in Vladivostok on 23 September.

India and Russia are old strategic allies and India is one of the largest purchasers of Russian defence equipment and technology.

The 11 day-long programme started a day before a similar exercise started in Pakistan. Russian soldiers arrived in Pakistan for their first-ever joint military training programme on 23 September, tweeted the Director General of Inter-Service Public Relation (ISPR), General Asim Bajwa.

Russian soldiers arrive in Pakistan on 22 September 2016 for a joint military operation. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@AsimBajmaSPR)

Russian soldiers arrive in Pakistan on 22 September 2016 for a joint military operation. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@AsimBajmaSPR)

Russian soldiers arrive in Pakistan on 22 September 2016 for a joint military operation. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@AsimBajmaSPR)

India has been communicating its displeasure to Russia over its joint military exercises with Pakistan.

However, these concerns have been played down by the Russians, who maintain that they hold similar military drills with other countries of the region as well. The issue is, however, bound to be discussed in the upcoming bilateral meet and the BRICS summit.

Also Read: Yes We Are Doing Military Drills With Pak, But Not in PoK: Russia

Speaking of the “threat of terrorism” faced by BRICS countries, Saran also said:

There are some burning issues before the world today which the BRICS countries will certainly address and this includes the question of terrorism and the threat of terrorism faced by all the countries in the BRICS group.

India has vowed to isolate Pakistan diplomatically internationally. Four countries refused to attend SAARC summit in Islamabad after India said it will be boycotting the event.