Moscow Mission
Source: By The Financial Express
As National Security Advisor Ajit Doval prepares for his anticipated visit to Moscow this week, Foreign Affairs Expert Robinder Sachdev has outlined several key objectives for the trip. Sachdev notes that Doval’s trip will include attending the BRICS National Security Advisors meeting. Additionally, Doval is expected to deliver important messages from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to both Russia’s National Security Advisor and President Vladimir Putin. This visit underscores the strategic dialogue between India and Russia, reflecting ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and address mutual interests on the global stage.
Key objectives behind Ajit Doval’s Russia visit:
BRICS Meeting: Sachdev highlighted that the primary aim is for Ajit Doval to participate in the National Security Advisors meeting with representatives from the 10 BRICS countries.
Diplomatic Messaging: A crucial aspect of the visit involves Doval conveying a message from Prime Minister Modi to Russia’s National Security Advisor and President Putin.
Strategic Shifts: Sachdev noted that the visit reflects India’s evolving foreign policy under Modi’s leadership, particularly following Modi’s recent meetings with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and Russian President Putin.
Conflict Resolution: Modi has expressed India’s willingness to play a proactive role in addressing the conflict, and Doval’s visit aims to further understand the positions of the involved parties and explore potential avenues for resolution.
The high-level security officials meeting for BRICS and BRICS Plus is set to take place in St. Petersburg from 10-12 September. Russia, which holds the BRICS chairmanship for 2024, will host this significant gathering. BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2023 to include Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia.
Doval to meet China’s security advisor?
Sachdev suggested that another key goal of NSA Doval’s visit to Moscow is to meet with China’s National Security Advisor. This meeting, part of the BRICS NSA discussions, presents an opportunity to assess the possibility of a summit or bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping. Such a meeting could potentially take place in October during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. Given that both Modi and Xi are expected to attend, Doval’s discussions with the Chinese NSA could help determine if the conditions are favorable for arranging a direct dialogue between the two leaders during the summit.
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He noted that the US and Western countries are taken aback by India’s shift in diplomatic stance regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to him, the West and the US might expect India to advocate for a ceasefire that aligns with Ukrainian and NATO interests. However, he emphasized that India is unlikely to take such a position and instead aims to serve as an impartial mediator or facilitator.
Additionally, it’s important to highlight that India and China have been engaged in a military standoff for over three years, dating back to May 2020, when China attempted to aggressively change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control.
Doval’s Moscow trip follows PM Modi’s diplomatic push for peace amid Russia-Ukraine conflict
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s upcoming visit to Moscow will follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s recent diplomatic missions to both Russia and Ukraine. In the past two months, Modi has engaged with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marking his first visits to these countries since the conflict began in 2022.
During his July trip to Moscow, Modi met with Putin at the Kremlin, advocating for peace and diplomacy as the only viable path forward. Modi emphasized that lasting solutions cannot be achieved through conflict and stressed the importance of dialogue over violence. He expressed profound sorrow over the loss of innocent lives, particularly children, in the ongoing war.
In August, Modi continued his peace advocacy in Ukraine, meeting Zelenskyy and reaffirming India’s commitment to a peaceful resolution. Modi underscored India’s readiness to actively contribute to the peace process and highlighted the nation’s unwavering stance on supporting dialogue over conflict.
