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| Putin and Modi Reaffirm Bond Between Russia and India | Putin and Modi Reaffirm Bond Between Russia and India |
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| NEW DELHI — As expected, Russia and India, longtime allies, signed a raft of agreements here at their leaders’ annual summit meeting on Thursday, expanding their usual set of projects to an ambitious agenda that includes joint manufacture of military helicopters and production of nuclear reactors. | |
| But the most intriguing event of the day occurred across town in a private dining room at a luxury hotel, where Sergei Aksyonov, the barrel-chested prime minister of Crimea, the Ukrainian territory annexed this year by Russia, signed a memorandum of understanding with a group of Indian businessmen who have named themselves the “Indo-Crimean Partnership.” | But the most intriguing event of the day occurred across town in a private dining room at a luxury hotel, where Sergei Aksyonov, the barrel-chested prime minister of Crimea, the Ukrainian territory annexed this year by Russia, signed a memorandum of understanding with a group of Indian businessmen who have named themselves the “Indo-Crimean Partnership.” |
| Mr. Aksyonov, 42, organized a paramilitary force on the Crimean Peninsula early this year as pro-Western protests rose in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, and he was one of the first people to be singled out by the United States for sanctions. He traveled to India on a plane that carried Russian officials attending the summit meeting, and was flanked by senior Russian diplomats, whom he credited with arranging the event. Interfax, the Russian news agency, said it was Mr. Aksyonov’s “first international visit.” | Mr. Aksyonov, 42, organized a paramilitary force on the Crimean Peninsula early this year as pro-Western protests rose in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, and he was one of the first people to be singled out by the United States for sanctions. He traveled to India on a plane that carried Russian officials attending the summit meeting, and was flanked by senior Russian diplomats, whom he credited with arranging the event. Interfax, the Russian news agency, said it was Mr. Aksyonov’s “first international visit.” |
| But both Indian and Russian officials said Mr. Aksyonov had not come as part of the official Russian delegation, and a spokesman for India’s foreign minister said the Indian authorities had not been consulted about Mr. Aksyonov’s event. Russia’s embassy in New Delhi had invited reporters on Wednesday, then told them hours later that it had been canceled. | |
| As for Mr. Aksyonov, he said he had come to India so he could follow up on an overture from Gul Kripalani, a Mumbai seafood merchant. | As for Mr. Aksyonov, he said he had come to India so he could follow up on an overture from Gul Kripalani, a Mumbai seafood merchant. |
| “Business is looking for the best place — a place that is calm, where you can protect your capital, where it is possible to increase your economic indicators,” Mr. Aksyonov said. “So Crimea is a priority place.” | “Business is looking for the best place — a place that is calm, where you can protect your capital, where it is possible to increase your economic indicators,” Mr. Aksyonov said. “So Crimea is a priority place.” |
| For President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, the brief visit to India served a crucial function this year, reassuring his domestic audience that Russia has not been too damaged by its growing isolation from the West. The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, is enjoying a period of global celebrity after sweeping the general election six months ago. He has also attracted rapt attention from Washington — President Obama has agreed to visit on India’s Republic Day in January, a date that required him to reschedule his State of the Union address. India has rarely surveyed such a range of potential partners. | For President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, the brief visit to India served a crucial function this year, reassuring his domestic audience that Russia has not been too damaged by its growing isolation from the West. The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, is enjoying a period of global celebrity after sweeping the general election six months ago. He has also attracted rapt attention from Washington — President Obama has agreed to visit on India’s Republic Day in January, a date that required him to reschedule his State of the Union address. India has rarely surveyed such a range of potential partners. |
| In comments on Thursday, Mr. Modi lingered on the subject of historic loyalty, which has bound India and Russia even as their joint agenda stagnated. Decades after the Bangladesh war in 1971, many officials still bring up Soviet Russia’s support when America was allied with Pakistan. | In comments on Thursday, Mr. Modi lingered on the subject of historic loyalty, which has bound India and Russia even as their joint agenda stagnated. Decades after the Bangladesh war in 1971, many officials still bring up Soviet Russia’s support when America was allied with Pakistan. |
| “The steadfast support of the people of Russia for India has been there even at difficult moments in our history, it has been a pillar of strength,” Mr. Modi said. “India, too, has always stood with Russia through its own challenges.” | “The steadfast support of the people of Russia for India has been there even at difficult moments in our history, it has been a pillar of strength,” Mr. Modi said. “India, too, has always stood with Russia through its own challenges.” |
| Mr. Modi publicly reassured Mr. Putin that “even if India’s options have increased,” Russia would remain India’s top defense supplier, ensuring a predictable flow of income as Russia weathers falling oil prices and a weak economy. In response, Mr. Putin pledged to supply India with 20 nuclear reactors, and Russia’s state oil company agreed to supply Essar, a private company, with a 10-year, fixed-price contract for oil that one official said was worth $5 billion. | Mr. Modi publicly reassured Mr. Putin that “even if India’s options have increased,” Russia would remain India’s top defense supplier, ensuring a predictable flow of income as Russia weathers falling oil prices and a weak economy. In response, Mr. Putin pledged to supply India with 20 nuclear reactors, and Russia’s state oil company agreed to supply Essar, a private company, with a 10-year, fixed-price contract for oil that one official said was worth $5 billion. |
| The agreements suggest that the relations between the two countries are more robust than many think, said Nandan Unnikrishnan, a senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. | The agreements suggest that the relations between the two countries are more robust than many think, said Nandan Unnikrishnan, a senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. |
| “Given Russia’s isolation by the West and the slump in the economy, people thought it would fail to infuse any energy into the Indo-Russian deal,” he said. “But that is not what has happened.” | “Given Russia’s isolation by the West and the slump in the economy, people thought it would fail to infuse any energy into the Indo-Russian deal,” he said. “But that is not what has happened.” |
| The visit of Crimea’s leader, however, remained the most surprising part of the day. Mr. Kripalani, the Mumbai businessman who invited Mr. Aksyonov to New Delhi, said that five Indian businessmen were present at the meeting of the Indo-Crimean Partnership but that the group had 204 members. | The visit of Crimea’s leader, however, remained the most surprising part of the day. Mr. Kripalani, the Mumbai businessman who invited Mr. Aksyonov to New Delhi, said that five Indian businessmen were present at the meeting of the Indo-Crimean Partnership but that the group had 204 members. |
| Mr. Kripalani runs a Mumbai business called the Pijikay Group of Companies, with what he said was an annual trade of $174 million in frozen shrimp. Crimea’s trade isolation, he said, had created a significant opportunity. | Mr. Kripalani runs a Mumbai business called the Pijikay Group of Companies, with what he said was an annual trade of $174 million in frozen shrimp. Crimea’s trade isolation, he said, had created a significant opportunity. |
| “We look at Crimea as an open door, welcoming Indian business,” Mr. Kripalani said. “I thought I would go and pick the low-hanging fruit.” | “We look at Crimea as an open door, welcoming Indian business,” Mr. Kripalani said. “I thought I would go and pick the low-hanging fruit.” |
| He confessed to a touch of nervousness on Thursday, because, as he put it, “our intentions might be misunderstood.” He said he and his associates “are not involved in politics, we know nothing about politics.” | He confessed to a touch of nervousness on Thursday, because, as he put it, “our intentions might be misunderstood.” He said he and his associates “are not involved in politics, we know nothing about politics.” |
| “Look, I found this door open to me, and I went into it,” he said. “If the Indian government is not against it, why should I be against it?” | “Look, I found this door open to me, and I went into it,” he said. “If the Indian government is not against it, why should I be against it?” |