Top security officials from India and Russia on Wednesday discussed ways to further bolster security cooperation between the two countries, as per a statement from the Russian embassy in New Delhi.
The statement came after a meeting between Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India.
Patrushev, along with top security officials from the Central Asian states travelled to Delhi to participate in the Meeting of Secretaries of SCO Security Councils, chaired by Doval.
Their counterparts from China and Pakistan attended the meeting in virtual mode.
‘Connectivity Remains Key Priority for India’
In his opening remarks at the meeting, Doval said that bolstering regional connectivity was a “key priority” for New Delhi.
“We stand ready to cooperate, or invest in and build connectivity in the region,” he said, adding that India was committed to fulfilling its obligations under the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the inclusion of the Chabahar Port in the INTSC framework.
India signed a government-to-government contract with Iran for developing the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar Port during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tehran in 2016.
The Moscow-backed 7,200-kilometer INSTC envisages seamless connectivity through rail, road, and sea networks between St. Petersburg in Russia and the ports in Iran and India.
New Delhi has said that Chabahar could play a defining role in unlocking the economic potential of the region.
SCO Main 'Stakeholders' in Regional Peace
The Indian NSA said that the SCO countries remain “common stakeholders” in the peace and progress of the region.
He further said that connectivity initiatives should be “consultative, transparent and participatory, and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries”.
Speaking on the issue of terrorism, Doval for coordinated efforts against global terrorist networks.