India’s NSA expected in Moscow for international security meet

Moscow: India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is expected here early next week to attend a major security meeting organised by Russia’s Security Council.

Doval is invited for the 13th international meeting of high representatives for security issues May 27-29 under the chairmanship of the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu.

“Invitations to participate in the forum have been sent to more than 150 countries of the Global South and East, the CIS, Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries, as well as to the leadership of more than 20 international organisations,” the Russian Security Council said in a release.

Like India, Pakistan is also a member of the SCO, and its NSA Lt Gen Asim Malik is also expected to be in Moscow for the meeting.

There are speculations that in the wake of Operation Sindoor, the two key Indian and Pakistani NSAs will be in Moscow and the Russian side may facilitate their face-to-face meeting, South Asia columnist of leading business daily ‘Kommersant’ Sergei Strokan told PTI here.

He recalled that on Friday while receiving the multi-party parliamentary delegation led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko had promised to jointly fight against terrorism and use the UN, BRICS and SCO platforms for close cooperation in decisive combat against all manifestations of terrorism.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives. India carried out precision strikes as part of Operation Sindoor on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7.

It was followed by Pakistan’s attempt to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions.

The on-ground hostilities ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10.

PTI

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