India–Russia Maritime Alliance Strengthens with New MoUs on Polar Seafaring & Security Cooperation

NEW DELHI: In a decisive move under the stewardship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Indo-Russian strategic partnership witnessed a fresh milestone: the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) and the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation inked key memoranda of understanding (MoUs), paving the way for enhanced maritime cooperation and Arctic-ready polar-navigation capability for Indian seafarers.

The MoUs — exchanged by Union Minister for Ports,Shipping & Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal and Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin during the visit of Vladimir Putin to New Delhi — mark a strategic deepening of bilateral cooperation in maritime policy, security and polar-route expertise.

According to the MoPSW, these agreements will empower Indian seafarers for polar operations — a crucial capability in view of growing interest in Arctic and high-latitude shipping corridors.

More broadly, the agreements reflect a widening of the traditional Indo-Russian partnership beyond defence and energy, extending into maritime security, logistics connectivity, and infrastructure cooperation — signalling a new chapter in a decades-old bond.

This development comes alongside a flurry of other deals signed during the summit — ranging from energy and fertilisers to transport and trade facilitation — underscoring the comprehensive momentum in bilateral ties even amid rapidly shifting global geopolitics