Vladimir Putin says Russia will not interfere in India-China relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Moscow would not interfere in the complex relationship between India and China expressing confidence that both countries are committed to resolving their longstanding border disputes through dialogue and peaceful meansSpeaking during an interaction with the heads of major international news agencies in St Petersburg Putin described IndiaChina ties as a delicate matter and emphasised that Russia maintains strong and independent relationships with both nationsPutin Backs Dialogue Between India and ChinaResponding to a question on IndiaChina relations the Russian President said both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are working towards addressing issues of mutual concern including the boundary disputePutin noted that Moscow enjoys close ties with both New Delhi and Beijing but believes that bilateral issues between the two Asian powers should be resolved directly by the countries concernedHe expressed confidence that the leadership of both nations remains focused on maintaining stability and finding mutually acceptable solutions to outstanding concernsIndiaChina Ties Improving After Border StandoffIndia and China have taken several steps over the past year to improve bilateral relations following years of tensions triggered by the 2020 Galwan Valley clash and the prolonged military standoff along the Line of Actual Control LACThe two countries have engaged in diplomatic and militarylevel talks aimed at reducing tensions and restoring normalcy in their relationship Recent efforts have focused on confidencebuilding measures disengagement processes and the resumption of dialogue mechanismsPutins remarks come at a time when both countries are attempting to stabilise ties while continuing discussions on unresolved borderrelated issuesRussia Balances Strong Ties With Both NationsThe Russian President highlighted Moscows longstanding partnerships with both India and China stressing that the two relationships have evolved independently over decadesAccording to Putin Russias growing cooperation with India does not come at the expense of its relationship with China nor does its strategic partnership with Beijing affect its ties with New DelhiHe described Russias engagement with both countries as natural and based on mutual interests across areas such as trade defence energy and regional cooperationPutin Recalls Origins of RIC FrameworkDuring the interaction Putin also spoke about the origins of the RussiaIndiaChina RIC framework He said the trilateral mechanism emerged after Russia encouraged greater engagement among the leaders of the three countriesThe RIC dialogue has served as a platform for discussing regional and global issues and has been viewed as an important forum for cooperation among major Eurasian powersComments on IndiaPakistan and ChinaPakistan RelationsPutin also addressed questions regarding IndiaPakistan relations acknowledging the complexities surrounding issues between the two neighboursCommenting on ChinaPakistan ties the Russian leader said he does not believe Pakistan is under Chinas control He described Pakistan as a major country that maintains relationships with multiple nations while recognising that cooperation with China remains important for IslamabadRussia Offers Defence Cooperation and TechnologyDefence cooperation between India and Russia also featured prominently in Putins remarks The Russian President cited the successful joint development and production of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile as an example of the deep defence partnership between the two countriesPutin also revealed that Russia has proposed joint collaboration with India on fifthgeneration fighter aircraft technology including potential cooperation related to the Su57 fighter jet programmeIndia is currently exploring options to strengthen its air combat capabilities and Putin said Russia remains ready to supply advanced military platforms and share critical technologies with IndiaStrategic Partnership Remains StrongThe Russian President reiterated Moscows commitment to expanding cooperation with India across defence technology and strategic sectors His remarks underscored the importance Russia continues to attach to its relationship with India while maintaining close engagement with ChinaWith inputs from PTI