MOSCOW, 6 November — Precisely 30 years after the Indo-Soviet Treaty, India and Russia will sign a Moscow Declaration today that will provide the intellectual framework for "absolutely identical" policies on terrorism and its implications for the future of South Asia.
The two countries indicated yesterday, through a variety of statements and signals, that they have the same view of the future of Afghanistan, the danger of Pakistan as a nurturing base for terrorist organizations and the need to find a solution to the Kashmir dispute through a peaceful dialogue.
Unlike the United States, which also commends such a dialogue as the only way forward, Moscow and New Delhi do not include "the aspirations of the Kashmiri people" in their formulations. The Moscow Declaration, a brief but substantive statement, will provide the context from which specific policy lines will follow. It will not in itself mention the specifics.
Russia is trying to use the mood of this revived spirit to push through an unprecedented arsenal of weapons to India, including an aircraft-carrier, Admiral Groshnov.
Vajpayee arrived in Moscow yesterday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of a 10-day tour aimed at ensuring India plays a role in a post-Taleban Afghanistan. Vajpayee, who arrived here from Russia’s second city of St. Petersburg, was due to meet with Putin in the Kremlin today.
The two sides are expected to sign a framework agreement paving the way for Russia’s construction of a nuclear power plant in southern India. Construction of the Kudankulum plant, in Tamil Nadu, was initially agreed some 13 years ago but the project was abandoned following the Soviet Union’s collapse.
Today’s agreement will determine how many reactors will be set up at the Kudankulum plant, with the first unit expected to be commissioned by December 2007. Vajpayee, who is due to leave for Washington tomorrow for talks with US President George W. Bush on Nov. 9, will also be seeking to limit the influence of archrival Pakistan in a post-Taleban government in Afghanistan.
In recent weeks, New Delhi has staked its claim for a say in the post Taleban set-up, announcing $100 million in humanitarian aid, appointing a special envoy for Afghanistan, and admitting that Delhi was helping the opposition coalition with weapons in its fight against the hard-line Taleban. On his way back home, Vajpayee will stop over in London for discussions with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Nov. 12.
