TWO world power, India and Russia are developing military cooperation and strategic partnerships in other areas, likely to stem U.S. dominance and China's rise.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyan Jaishankar said this at a press conference regarding Jaishankar's visit to Russia from December 25-29. in Moscow, Wednesday (12/27).

According to Lavrov, in the military sector, progress was made in the plan for joint production of defense equipment, while in the international transport sector, the two countries agreed to cooperate in the construction of the railway network and roads of the international north-south corridor as well as maritime routes. routes between Chennai in India and Vladivostok in Russia.

In the military sector, especially with regard to the production of defense equipment, continued the Russian Foreign Minister, this is a strategic partnership for the two countries, which should ensure security in the Euro region -Asian.

Russia appreciates India's efforts to diversify defense production.

Lavrov stressed that his party is ready to support India's steps to meet the needs for the production of modern defense equipment meeting India's needs.

So far, Russia is India's main partner in weapons systems, providing, for example, licenses for the production of MiG fighter jets, underwater technology and joint production of Brahmos missiles based on the S-300 surface-to-air missile developed by Russia.

The need to have a large budget to participate in the defense equipment production competition inevitably encourages the formation of consortia or partnerships between countries to finance its development.

SIPRI 2022 noted that India with a military budget of US$76.6 billion (Rs. 1,107 trillion) or 4th place and Russia with US$86.4 billion (US$1,296 trillion) or 3rd place, much smaller than the United States in the ranking. billion US dollars (Rp. 11,581 trillion).

For India, which is worried about the rise of Chinese hegemony, its archenemy involved in several major wars, a partnership with Russia is very important, just as for Russia, which must counterbalance American hegemony.

India, isolated by the United States and Western countries, also did not forget the massive aid from the Soviet Union when the country was involved in a major war with its neighbor Pakistan in 1971 .

The development of military power, even if it absorbs a very large budget because it involves the latest technologies, is necessary for each country in the midst of an uncertain situation characterized by conflicts and the struggle for hegemony between the superpowers. (AP/Reuters/ns)