India has decide to decline Russia’s invitation to participate in a defence exercise that will also see participation from China and Pakistan.
Image for representational purpose. (Photo: Reuters)
The government has decided not to participate in a multi-lateral defence exercise that is being organised by Russia and would see participation from China and Pakistan, two countries with which India’s relations are extremely strained.
Russia had invited India to send a delegation of nearly 150 troops to participate in the multinational Kavkaz defence exercise. The delegation would have taken part in war exercised with other countries, including Pakistan and China.
“Recently, a high-level meeting was held in the South Block that included External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat. In the meeting it was decided that India would not accept the invitation sent by Russia,” top government sources privy to the development told India Today TV.
Prior to the meeting, preparations were on for India to participate in the exercise and an infantry battalion was being prepared for it
In the meeting, it was decided that in the wake of the border clash with China in Ladakh, it can’t be business as usual with China. It was argued that participating in the war games with China and Pakistan wold send undesired signals to the global community.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that China is likely to participate and will be sending in a substantial number of naval surface combatants.
Since 2018, an increasing number of nations have been participating in these exercises organised by Russia.
Earlier, these exercises used to be limited to Russian armed forces or took the form of bilateral exercises with neighbouring east European countries.
Last year, Exercise Tsentr saw participation from India, Pakistan and all SCO member nations. India also participated in SCO peace mission exercise in 2018. In 2019, for the first time it was involved in a strategic command and staff exercise as part of Exercise Tsentr.
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