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US sanctions won’t impact India-Russia defence ties: minister
NEW DELHI, June 5, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – India’s defence minister Nirmala
Sitharaman said Tuesday that US sanctions on Russia military exports would
not impact long-standing ties between New Delhi and one of its key arms
suppliers Moscow.
US President Donald Trump in August signed a law threatening sanctions on
any country doing business with Russia’s defence and intelligence sectors.
The sanctions regime affects American allies like India, which has
purchased Russian military hardware and expertise for decades.
India, the world’s top defence importer, had been in talks with Russia to
buy S-400 long range surface-to-air missile systems when the sanctions were
announced.
There had been speculation last year when the sanctions were signed into
law that the $6 billion weapons deal could be scuttled.
But Sitharaman said the long-running negotiations “have reached the
final stage”.
“I like to make it clear here that in all our engagements with the US, we
have very clearly explained how India and Russia’s defence cooperation is
something which has been going on for a very long time,” she told reporters
on Tuesday when asked about the sanctions.
“It is a time tested relationship. And India has got quite a lot of
defence assets from Russia. Assets, spares, servicing — we have a continuous
relationship with Russia.
The sanctions “cannot be impacting on us on this particular
characteristic of India’s Russia defence co-operation”.
India has increasingly turned to the United States and France for arms
purchases in recent years, but is still reliant on Russia hardware and
expertise to maintain its existing arsenal.
BSS/AFP/RY/1940 hrs