India has decided not to send a contingent this year to Kavkaz-2020 (Representative Image)
New Delhi:
India will not send its contingent to the multinational military exercise Kavkaz-2020, which is being organized in Russia, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Defense Ministry said.
“Russia and India are privileged strategic partners. At the invitation of Russia, India has been participating in many international events. However, due to COVID-19 and the consequent difficulties in the exercise, India has decided not to send a contingent this year to Kavkaz. -2020 “. “said the Defense Ministry spokesman.
Both China and Pakistan will be part of the multinational exercise.
The ANI news agency, citing sources from the Defense Ministry, said that China’s participation in the exercise was also a reason for India to withdraw from the three-service multilateral military exercise. They say that while India is locked in a military conflict with the Chinese in eastern Ladakh and on high alert along the 4,000 kilometer Royal Line of Control (LAC), it cannot be normal for us to participate in multilateral military exercises. with them. .
India and China had clashed in the Galwan Valley on June 15 in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives, while the Chinese also suffered several casualties with dozens of Chinese soldiers killed and wounded there.
The sources added that the defense minister would visit Russia on September 4-6 for the defense ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, but the Indian representative is unlikely to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart.
India was invited by Russia to participate in the three-service exercise with a contingent of around 200 people to southern Russia in September for the multilateral Kavkaz-2020.
The exercise is being carried out in the southern Russian province of Astrakhan, where the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the countries of Central Asia will participate.
The Tsentr exercise last year was attended by India, Pakistan and all SCO member countries.
India and China have been involved in a territorial conflict in eastern Ladakh and the northern subsector (Ladakh) where Chinese troops have transgressed in multiple areas and refused to fully withdraw in areas such as the Finger, Depsang Plains, and Gogra heights. Both sides have amassed more than 40,000 soldiers on their respective side of LAC with the induction of heavy weaponry, including long-range artillery and tanks.
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