Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India on December 4-5 will be crucial for key defence and strategic pacts that get finalised to bolster military cooperation between the two nations, according to reports.
Amongst these is the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS), which aims to streamline coordination for joint military exercises, disaster relief and other operations, in regions like the Arctic.
With the Russian lower house of Parliament set to ratify the RELOS ahead of Putin’s state visit for the 23rd bilateral summit, India and Russia are set to expand geographic opportunities for peacetime operations for both strategic partners.
The State Duma has uploaded the RELOS in its ratification database along with the Russian government’s note and said that “the Russian government believes that the ratification of the document will strengthen cooperation between Russia and India in the military sphere”, official news agency TASS reported.
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The RELOS was signed on February 18, 2025 in Moscow by the Indian Ambassador, Vinay Kumar, and erstwhile Deputy Defence Minister, Alexander Fomin.
Local defence sources said RELOS will enhance military cooperation by simplifying procedures for joint activities, including exercises and disaster relief, including in the Arctic, as India ships LNG from the Yamal Peninsula, Izvestia daily noted at the time of its signing.
The Indian Navy’s Talwar class frigates as well as INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier are equipped to sail in freezing climate of Arctic can use the Russian naval bases for logistic support while Russian Navy can use Indian facilities to boost its presence to offset Chinese and other outside countries presence in the Indian Ocean Region, experts here believe.
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