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OpINION JANUARY 21, 2022 | The Indian Eye 10

The roadmap to India’s

Strategic Access in the Arctic

India’s interests in the Arctic region are increasing and it is keen to make investments particularly

in the exploration of Russian oil, gas and other rare earth minerals in the near future

BIPANDEEP SHARMA security backing is required to safe-
guard India’s investments in the Arc-
ndia and Russia maintain a rig- tic. At present, India does not main-
orous framework of bilateral tain any port facility or naval base in
Icooperation. The annual India– this region as a whole. An agreement
Russia summit held in December such as RELOS would enable Indi-
2021 in New Delhi led to the signing an Navy to have greater operational
and acknowledgement of multiple reach in the Arctic. It would provide
important agreements between the logistics and other required facili-
two countries. Though several issues ties to Indian naval ships venturing
of mutual interest were discussed through the region. Further, in case
during the summit, agreement on of any hostile situation arising in the
an important Reciprocal Exchange region, RELOS would enable great-
of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) er coordination between the Indian
could not be reached. and Russian Navy to respond appro-
RELOS remains to be a crucial priately in the region.
agreement between India and Russia
as both the countries plan to increase eMerGING SHIPPING
their bilateral investments in the CoNNeCTIvITy
Arctic region and Russian Far East.
The Arctic sea-ice along the
Russian coast is receding drastically.
WHAT IS reLoS? The Northern Sea Route is humming
The Reciprocal Exchange of with shipping activity that is signifi-
Logistics Agreement is a long-await- cantly increasing annually. India has
ed administrative agreement that openly called for supporting the Rus-
would enable the militaries of both sian vision of developing the North-
the countries to access logistics and ern Sea Route (NSR). From Vladi-
support facilities at each other’s bas- vostok in the Far East to Murmansk
es and ports. It would facilitate the in the west, Russia maintains a vast
replenishment of fuel, rations, spare stretch of naval port infrastructure
parts and berthing for troops, war- along the NSR. As the shipping ac-
ships and aircrafts while operating tivity in the NSR increases, Russia is
away from home ports and bases also in the process of reviving its old
during the war and peacetime mis- naval bases of Soviet times and is si-
sions. multaneously enhancing existing na-
The agreement would enable val port infrastructure in the region.
maintenance facilities to warships Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin before a meeting at the The signing of RELOS between In-
and military aircraft at each other’s 21st annual India-Russia summit (ANI) dia and Russia, would open India’s
bases. RELOS would further ensure access to Russian Arctic naval ports
smooth use of the host nation’s exist- pan Acquisition and Cross-Servic- operation between the two countries. and military bases from Vladivostok
ing logistics networks which would ing Agreement (ACSA) and India– eCoNoMIC AND Geo- to Murmansk and beyond. India,
reduce the overall costs of the mis- Australia Mutual Logistics Support does not have its own full-fledged
sion and provide a strategic edge to Agreement (MLSA), demonstrating STrATeGIC SIGNIFICANCe base or naval docking or refuelling
each other’s military operations. all the Quad countries. Apart from India’s interests in the Arctic re- facility in the Arctic, but through RE-
this, India maintains such military gion are increasing and it is keen to LOS it would have access to all such
SIGNIFICANCe For INDIA logistics agreements with France, make investments particularly in the facilities in the near future. As Chi-
India has signed military logistics Singapore and South Korea. It is exploration of Russian oil, gas and na’s strategic reach and presence in
agreements with several countries in currently in the process of finalising other rare earth minerals in the near the Arctic grows with its third heavy
the past. This includes the India–US such an agreement with the UK and future. It is likely that these invest- (nuclear powered) ice-breaker ship
Logistics Exchange Memorandum Vietnam. Signing RELOS with Rus- ments would increase further in fu- inline for entering into polar waters
of Agreement (LEMOA), India–Ja- sia would add to greater strategic co- ture, therefore some kind of strategic Continued at next page... >>

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