Anti-terror financing meet: Russia's stance on Pakistan surprises India

NEW DELHI: There is unease in Delhi over recent stand that old ally Russia took at a recent anti-terror financing meet organised at Brisbane by opposing move by India to demand censure against Pakistan for its inaction against JuD & LeT.
While New Zealand and Australia also opposed the move, India is surprised with Russia’s position which in the past has been very supportive of India’s stand on Kashmir to the extent of vetoing resolutions in UN Security Council.

Official sources indicated that the Russia will be sensitised of India’s position. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ufa on sidelines of BRICS and SCO summits and counterterror cooperation will be part of talking points. BRICS too will deal with threats from ISIS.

Russia's stand is not without context. Last year India raised with Russia it's displeasure over Moscow's decision to sell arms to Pakistan. Moscow, however, feels that it needs Pakistan to counter terrorists in the Af-Pak region and control drug trade in Afghanistan, sources indicated. The Afghan issue will also be part of Putin-Modi discussions.

New Delhi wants a reassurance from Moscow that its recent military cooperation agreement with Islamabad would not hurt core security interests of India. Pakistan Army Chief recently visited Moscow for defence cooperation dialogue.

While New Delhi had nothing to say about bilateral ties between two other nations, it expects that Russia would not be oblivious of its decades-old and time-tested relations with India.

Russia’s decision to strike a defence deal with Pakistan appears to be a reaction to India’s move to enter into closer ties with the US.