India cannot be seen to be participating with China in an exercise when the two armies are involved in a standoff, sources said on Saturday.
- News18.com New Delhi
- Last Updated: August 29, 2020, 7:23 PM IST
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India has withdrawn from a multilateral war game ‘Kavkaz 2020’ in Russia next month and will not be sending a tri-services military contingent, citing China’s participation, sources said on Saturday. China, Pakistan and a number of other member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) are expected to participate in the strategic command-post exercise.
Last week, India had conveyed to Russia that it will participate in the strategic command-post exercise to be held in the Astrakhan region in southern Russia from September 15 to 26.
India cannot be seen to be participating with China in an exercise when the two armies are involved in a standoff, added the sources.
The Indian and Chinese armies have been locked in a tense standoff in eastern Ladakh for over three-and-half-months despite multiple rounds of diplomatic and military talks. The tension escalated after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the Galwan Valley clash in which Chinese military also suffered casualties.
In June, a tri-services contingent from India participated at the Victory Day Parade at the iconic Red Square in Moscow to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War. A contingent from China had also attended it.
Russia has been a major partner of India in the defence sector and the cooperation has been steadily growing further. Russia earlier said India and China should resolve the border dispute through talks and that a “constructive” relationship between the two countries was important for regional stability.
The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations which accounts for almost 44% of the world population stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea. The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security of the region. India became a member of SCO in 2017.
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