Russian Duma Poised to Ratify India–Russia Military Logistics Pact Ahead of Putin’s Visit
RELOS agreement set to boost bilateral defence cooperation with mutual access for troops, warships and aircraft, strengthening a long-standing strategic partnership before the December 4–5 summit.
Ahead of the highly anticipated visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India to attend the 23rd Bilateral Summit slated for December 4-5, the lower house of Russian Parliament (State Duma) is set to ratify a crucial military pact with India.
Signed on February 18 in Moscow by Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar and the then Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin, the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) aims to further strengthen military cooperation between the two long-standing strategic partners.
According to Russia’s official news agency, TASS, the Russian government has submitted to the State Duma for ratification a Russian-Indian agreement on the procedure of mutual dispatch of personnel, warships and warplanes on each other’s territory.
“The document, uploaded to the State Duma’s electronic database, "ratifies an agreement between the government of the Russian Federation and the government of the Republic of India about the procedure of dispatching Russian military units, warships and warplanes and of dispatching the Republic of India’s military units, warships and warplanes on the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as on organizing their mutual technical and logistical support," TASS reported.
An explanatory note to the document says that troops can be dispatched for joint drills and training sessions, humanitarian assistance, disaster response and in other cases, agreed by the sides. The Russian government believes that the ratification of the document will strengthen cooperation between Russia and India in the military sphere, the agency reported.
Notably, India and Russia continue to sustain a robust Defence partnership, accentuated by the regular Tri-Services exercise INDRA and several high-profile joint military programmes, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile project, the fifth-generation fighter aircraft initiative, and the ongoing Su-30MKI fighter jet programme.
India’s inventory features a substantial range of Russian-origin platforms, reflecting decades of close cooperation. Key acquisitions include the S-400 Triumf air-defence system, T-90S Bhishma main battle tanks, the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier, and the AK-203 assault rifle production line.
Additionally, India is set to manufacture 200 Kamov Ka-226 helicopters under the Make in India initiative, reaffirming the depth of bilateral military-technical collaboration.