Army Chief Begins Three-Day Visit to Russia
Gen Dhiraj Seth to hold talks with senior Russian military and defence officials and visit key military institutions in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
NEW DELHI, Sept 16: Chief of the Army Staff Gen Dhiraj Seth began a three-day official visit to Russia on Wednesday, September 16, with a focus on strengthening the longstanding defence partnership and military to military ties between India and Russia.
During his visit, Gen Seth is scheduled to meet Colonel General Andrei Nikolayevich Mordvichev, Commander in Chief of the Russian Land Forces, for discussions on matters of mutual interest. The talks are expected to cover professional military cooperation, training and other areas of bilateral engagement.
The Army chief will also visit the National Defence Control Centre in Moscow and interact with senior officials of the Russian Ministry of Defence. Among them is Vasily Sergeyevich Osmakov, Deputy Minister of Defence responsible for defence industry and procurement.
The engagements are expected to provide an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on contemporary military developments and explore avenues for further expanding defence cooperation.
According to the Defence Ministry, Gen Seth’s visit, scheduled from September 16 to 18, underlines the importance India and Russia attach to sustained military diplomacy and regular army to army engagement.
As part of his programme in Moscow, Gen Seth will pay tribute to fallen soldiers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a prominent memorial dedicated to Soviet soldiers who died during World War II.
The Army chief will subsequently travel to St. Petersburg, where he is scheduled to visit the Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy. He will interact with the institution’s leadership and faculty during the visit.
The Defence Ministry said the series of meetings and engagements are intended to further deepen military cooperation and reinforce the enduring defence relationship between the two countries.
