Ajit Doval, Nikolay Patrushev hold one-on-one meet on defence & counter-terror ties

NSA Ajit Doval and his Russian counterpart Nikolay Patrushev on Wednesday held a key meeting to maintain momentum in strategic partnership including in defence, energy, counter-terrorism besides discussing trade in national currencies and cooperation in Af-Pak region amid growing Ukraine-Pakistan defence axis.

Doval and Patrushev held a one-on-one meeting following delegation level meeting signifying the importance of the strategic partnership, ET has learnt. The meeting, their third since last August, was critical to review strategic partnership amid the Ukraine war.

Defence partnership amid reports of delay in supply of systems and spare parts to India figured in the talks, sources indicated. Sources claimed while there have been production related delays all contracts are being fulfilled.


Situation in the Af-Pak region and Ukraine-Pakistan defence axis are also understood to have figured in the talks. Russia is a key and reliable partner in the area of counter-terrorism, sources said.

Patrushev on his part briefed Doval on the state of war in Ukraine and threat of biological warfare. The two also focused on growing energy partnership and reliability of Russian crude supplies to India that have soared in the last one year. Similar focus was devoted to civilian space cooperation and nuclear partnership.

Earlier in his speech at SCO NSA meet Patrushev noted that all declared goals of the special military operation will be achieved despite increasing military assistance to Ukraine from the West. "Ukrainian military servicemen are being actively trained on the territory of NATO states. About 50 countries that make up the so-called Ramstein coalition are involved in the armed conflict on the side of the Kiev regime," Patrushev pointed out. SCO counter-terror exercises was also discussed at SCO NSA meet.

Last month Doval in what can be described as a rare development Doval met Russian President Vladimir Putin one on one in Moscow and focused on defence ties & projects, energy and fertilisers supply besides boosting trade in national currencies and connectivity initiatives.

This was one of the rare occasions when a visiting NSA called on Putin in Moscow and this underlines the depth of the relationship, sources told ET. Putin is expected to visit India in June for the SCO Summit and again in September for the G20 Summit.

It was NSA’s second visit to Moscow since the Ukraine war.