Why Putin wants to partner India for Russia’s Far East

Key Highlights

• (Photo: Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters)Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the ‘Act Far East’ policy in 2019 to co-develop projects in Russia’s Far East region.
• However, progress has been slow due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine war. Lately, India and Russia have held discussions on several projects in the Far East under the ‘co-production’ model, Firstpost has learnt. With Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit, India’s Act Far East policy is expected to gather pace.
• If ongoing talks succeed, work on projects under discussion could begin soon.
• These projects span sectors such as minerals, agriculture, and food processing. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADRussia’s Far East boasts some of the world’s largest reserves of natural resources, ranging from fossil fuels like oil and gas to metals such as gold, nickel, copper, tin, and zinc, as well as precious stones like diamonds, and rare earths like neodymium, dysprosium, yttrium, lanthanum, and cerium. More from World Putin’s upcoming Delhi visit: A renewed push towards a multipolar world amid turbulent times Beyond defence & oil, PM Modi & Putin build ‘co-production model’ as future of economic tiesTo casual observers, it might appear that India is eager to tap into the Far East’s vast resources.
• In reality, it is Putin who has been equally keen to attract Indian investments and workers to the region.