India expresses disappointment over Pakistan-Russia military cooperation

Says cooperation with Islamabad may complicate New Delhi's relations with Moscow

India has expressed its concern to Russia over the joint military exercise recently held between Islamabad and Moscow, Times of India reported.



"We have conveyed our views to Russia that military cooperation with Pakistan which is a country that sponsors terrorism as a matter of state policy is a wrong approach and it will only create further problems," India's ambassador to Russia Pankaj Saran said.

Saran's remarks come ahead of a bilateral meeting in Goa on Saturday between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin will be arriving in India on October 14 and apart from the bilateral Summit, he will attend the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) meet on October 16.



New Delhi has constantly been conveying its disappointment to Moscow over its joint military cooperation with Pakistan. However, Russia has not given India's reservations much attention since it holds similar military drills with other countries in the region.

India has been struggling to gain support from the world in its efforts to isolate Islamabad in the wake of the Uri base attack -- but to no avail.

China said on Monday that “no country should pursue its own political gains in the name of counterterrorism” in what India’s jingoist media said appeared to be a reference to New Delhi’s global campaign to get Pakistan declared a ‘pariah’.

China’s Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said no country should have double standards on terrorism or use it for political gains. Though he didn’t name any country, the Times of India newspaper said Beijing “added insult to injury by accusing New Delhi”.

Li was speaking to reporters on President Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to India for the 8th BRICS summit in Goa on October 15 and 16. The BRICS group of emerging nations includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.



“There should be no double standards on terrorism nor should one pursue its own political gains in the name of counterterrorism,” Li said while replying to a question on criticism about China’s move to stall India’s bid for a UN ban on Maulana Masood Azhar, the head of Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group, which New Delhi blames for being behind the January attack on its air force base in Pathankot.

“On counterterrorism, the five countries have consensus. The foreign ministers of the five countries reached an agreement on the margins of the United Nation General Assembly. We hope and believe this Goa summit will build on the consensus and continue to strengthen cooperation on counterterrorism and other issues of political security,” Li said.