Russia Ratifies RELOS Defence Pact Ahead of President Putin's India Visit

The lower house of the Russian parliament ratified a key military pact with India on Tuesday, ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to New Delhi beginning on December 4. The Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support (RELOS) agreement was sent to State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, last week for ratification by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

“Our relations with India are strategic and comprehensive, and we value them. We understand that today's ratification of the agreement is another step toward reciprocity and, of course, the development of our relations,” PTI reported citing Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of State Duma.

The Russian Cabinet of Ministers said the ratification “will facilitate mutual use of the two countries’ airspace and port call by Russian and Indian warships.” A note on the Duma website stated the RELOS will strengthen military cooperation between the two countries.

What Is The RELOS Agreement?

The RELOS agreement sets the procedure for sending military formations, warships, and military aircraft of Russia to India and vice versa, and the organisation of their mutual logistical support, reports said. The agreement regulates dispatch of troops and equipment, and their logistics. The established procedure will be used during joint exercises, training, humanitarian aid, disaster relief efforts after natural and man-made disasters.

Putin’s State Visit, What’s On The Agenda?

Putin will commence his two day visit to India on Thursday, pitching for more sales of Russian oil, missile systems, and fighter jets in a bid to enhance energy and defence ties which now under strain due to pressure from the US and Western Allies on both the countries, reports said. On his first visit in four years to New Delhi, Putin will be accompanied by his defence minister, Andrei Belousov, and several other delegations from business and industry.

Moscow has been a long standing ally for New Delhi and has supplied arms for decades, with India emerging as its largest buyer of seaborne oil despite Western sanctions. The US and the European Union has imposed sanctions on Russia’s oil refiners in an attempt to curb Moscow’s oil revenue, which they alleges to fuel the ongoing war with Ukraine. US President Donald Trump imposed a 25% punitive tariff on India and also urged his European allies to impose similar tariffs on Indian goods to pressurise New Delhi to stop its import dependency on Russia. In the wake of sanctions, aggressively high tariffs, and absence of a India-US trade deal, New Delhi’s crude imports are set to hit a three-year low this month.