Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
12 July 2024 | 00:20 SAST
1-minute read

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Russia is seen by some analysts as a significant non-west statement.

Marking Modi’s first visit to Russia in the post-covid period, the trip not only has critical implications for New Delhi’s relationship with Washington, but also for the economic co-operation between the two nations in terms of “people to people exchange”, Sanusha Naidu, research associate at the Centre for Global Dialogue, said earlier today during this week’s Asia-Pacific Report on Radio Islam International.

The visit was received as a move in poor taste by the Ukrainian president, while some analysts have argued that it comes on the back of a fractured and divided geopolitical architecture, Naidu said.

Reports indicate that the purpose of the visit was to reinforce military co-operation and international relations between the countries. Additionally, the two countries reached an agreement on conflict resolution during Modi’s trip to Russia.

Naidu notes that the trip represents a win for Russia, which has been attempting to improve its global position. The visit was, however, not received well by the Ukrainian president, who thought it was in poor taste.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held its 24th summit earlier this month – one from which Modi was conspicuously absent. Naidu notes that his absence indicates India’s strategic refusal to participate in an organisation dominated by China.

The SCO, a regional security organisation, monitors border security issues, looks after the national security interests of member states, and monitors regional security dynamics.

“The SCO also represents an interesting dimension for what is going on in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in light of challenges in the South China Sea, the question of regional security politics, and of course the presence of China and Russia in the Eurasian corridor,” Naidu said.

The key events in Asia to keep an eye on, Naidu said, is the Chinese political party discussions that are underway and that are expected to give an indication of the political direction that China will take in the next 12 months.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat here.