Lecture: ‘Russia wants strategic stability in South Asia’

Russia is interested in strategic stability but it cannot ensure it for other countries to achieve it says Topychkanov

ISLAMABAD: Russia supports strategic stability in South Asia and is working to reduce chances of conflict in the region, says a Russian scholar.

“Russia is interested in strategic stability and avoiding crisis in the region, but it cannot ensure it for other countries to achieve it,” said Petr Topychkanov, who is associated with the Non-Proliferation Programme of the Carnegie Moscow Centre.

He was delivering a lecture on “Non-proliferation and strategic stability in South Asia: a Russian perspective” at the Strategic Vision Institute – an Islamabad-based think tank specialising in nuclear issues.

Topychkanov said India had been Russia’s longtime strategic partner and Moscow intended to keep that relationship, but it was also developing ties with Pakistan.

He said that, while Russia cooperated with India in the development of Brahmos missile and helped it in achieving sea-based strike capability by first providing nuclear-fuelled Chakra submarine, and was currently in talks over S-400 air defence systems and lease of a higher category of submarine, it was at the same time providing Mi-35M helicopters in addition to a deal for provision of JF-17 engines.

Russia, Topychkanov maintained, had an important influence on the strategic balance in the region.

Moscow’s policy of engagement in South Asia, he said, was to tell both Pakistan and India that it should not be seen as an ally of one country, rather it should be taken as being interested in good relations and security and stability of both.

Topychkanov believed that balancing act of Moscow vis-à-vis ties with both Delhi and Islamabad, which he described as “playing two different tracks at the same time”, would not help Russia in the long run.

He also called on Moscow to be more transparent in relations with India and Pakistan and avoid throwing surprises.

Topychkanov explained that diplomatic support for the entry of India and Pakistan into Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and simultaneous development of military cooperation with both and working with them on non-proliferation issues were options.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2016.