Russia 'sways' India on ABM Treaty

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, JUNE 6. Russia appears to have swayed India back to its view on strategic stability and the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty.

``Russia and India share identical or converging views on the issues of international security and strategic stability,'' Russia's Defence Minister, Mr. Sergei Ivanov, said after talks with the visiting Defence and External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh.

Mr. Ivanov said that the two countries ``are in complete agreement the ABM Treaty is the cornerstone of a ramified structure of global strategic stability.''

Mr. Jaswant Singh confirmed India's opposition to unilateral abrogation of the ABM Treaty mooted by the United States.

``If this treaty is unilaterally abrogated, abridged or adjusted, this will lead to greater uncertainty instead of promoting a new more cooperative security framework,'' Mr. Singh told reporters on Wednesday at the end of his three days of talks in Moscow. ``That is why we are recommending to the United States that any step in that direction must be made with Russia and in consultation with Russia.''

The stand articulated by Mr. Singh in Moscow effectively waters down India's support for the U.S.-proposed global security set-up based on the renunciation of the ABM Treaty and the construction of a national missile defence. Moscow is strongly opposed to the U.S. plans and wants to preserve the ABM Treaty.

India continues to believe that the ABM Treaty is a bilateral matter between Russia and the U.S., but Moscow insists it is now a problem for all countries and has moved to engage India in discussions on the issue. An Indo-Russian working group on strategic stability is to meet in Moscow after a Russian- American summit later this month.

``The global strategic stability formed around the ABM Treaty includes multilateral agreements aimed at neutralising other military threats,'' Mr. Sergei Ivanov said today. ``This requires that all countries involved in building the strategic stability framework take part in discussions on this issue.''

Strategic partnership

Talking to newsmen at the end of his three-day visit, Mr. Jaswant Singh said his talks in Russia would have added a new dimension to strategic partnership the two countries established last year.

The first session of the Indo-Russian Inter- governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation, achieved ``strategic transformation of what was earlier the buyer-seller relationship to true partnership in research and development,'' Mr. Singh said. ``It is a partnership which addresses itself with great responsibility, maturity and commitment to the emerging challenges in the military and technical field.''

Mr. Singh said the defence talks were ``the most productive and result-oriented encounter we have ever had.'' India announced plans to step up defence purchases in Russia and the two countries are to undertake joint development of new arms for the air force, navy and the army.

Apart from defence Mr. Singh's talks in Moscow covered the full gamut of bilateral, regional and international issues, as he met ``entire spectrum of national security and defence- related Russian leaders'' in the first substan tive bilateral engagement since Mr. Putin's visit to India last year.

Stand on Taliban

A joint struggle against international terrorism was high on the agenda of Mr. Singh's talks in Moscow, coming up in each of his meetings with Russian leaders. ``I have no doubt where Russia stands on the Taliban,'' Mr. Singh said, reminding that Russia, together with India and other countries co-sponsored U.N. Security Council Resolution 1333 censuring the Taliban. ``The question of Russia recognising the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan simply does not arise. My colleague, Mr. Sergei Ivanov, today very candidly and clearly spoke of the dangers that this kind of fundamentalism and terrorism poses to the entire region.''

Asked if Russia's fast-developing defence ties with China could affect Indo-Russian relations Mr. Singh said that India's relations with Russia ``is not a reflection, reaction to or as bouncing against another relationship; it stands on its own.''

``We understand Russia's military relationship with the People's Republic of China, we address ourselves to that question in a responsible manner.''

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