India and Russia to tap full potential of economic relationship

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that the 24th India-Russia Inter-governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation was held in New Delhi on April 17-18. Both the countries agreed to unlock full potential of bilateral trade and economic relationship.

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry of Russia Denis Manturov, who arrived in Indian capital Monday heading a high-level delegation comprising senior officials from several Russian ministries, co-chaired the 24th session of the Inter-governmental commission.

The Inter-governmental Commission, which is a mechanism for monitoring bilateral progress of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, agreed to address the trade deficit and market access issues.

The visiting Russian deputy PM also met Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

The India-Russia Business Dialogue was also held on Monday with participation of key businesses from both the countries enabling Jaishankar, Manturov and business leaders to engage and drive the momentum of shared priorities of deeper and wider bilateral commercial cooperation.

Though Indian authorities claim that the visit is in continuation of the regular high-level dialogue between the two nations, it assumes greater importance as New Delhi’s closer ties with Russia even while the latter is engaged in a bloody battle in Ukraine is seen with caution in western capitals.

India has so far resisted Western pressure to condemn Russian aggression and instead expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis arising out of the war and called to resolve all differences through dialogue and diplomatic means.

Jaishankar has said that discussions are on over the payments issue with Russia, referring to the trade in local currencies (rupee-ruble).

“There are discussions on the payments issue under the scheme of international trade settlement in Indian rupees through the special rupee vostro account system.

“And I think the payments issue clearly needs to be worked through between our systems. It is something we will be discussing,” said Jaishankar at the India-Russia Business Dialogue.

The event was organized by the Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with FICCI and the Business Council for Cooperation with India (BCCI). India and Russia have a Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.

“For the period between April 2022 and February 2023, bilateral trade was about $45 billion and is expected to grow,” Jaishankar added.

Russia has said that within the framework of the inter-governmental dialogue, they propose to consider the possibility of the wide use of national currencies.

Meanwhile, Russia also wants to take its partnership with India to another level by having a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

“Together with the Eurasian Economic Commission, we are looking forward to intensifying negotiations on the FTA with India.

“Additionally, we are working on signing the Russia-India Bilateral Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Investments,” said Manturov.

To protect the principles of free trade, Russia has undertaken a set of measures which includes permitting import of original goods without consent of the rights’ owners from unfriendly countries — so-called parallel imports.

“Besides, we’ve launched the program of preferential loans and insurance of Russian importers towards procurement of priority products from foreign countries.

“Among the most demanded goods under this program are components and equipment for road construction, products of chemical and pharmaceutical industries. I am sure that this will create opportunities for Indian companies to increase their supplies to Russia,” Manturov added.

Russia has also invited Indian companies who are keen on joint projects to consider ‘cluster investment platform’.

“This provides preferential credits for designing and manufacturing of priority products, subsidies for pilot batches of goods, insurance premium and income tax preferences.

“As far as certain components and technologies are concerned we will definitely rely on trusted foreign partners. We are working in this manner with our Indian friends for decades,” Manturov added.

Marupov also met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and discussed a wide range of issues under the India-Russia Strategic Partnership.

Israel unveils remote controlled armed robots to be used in battle zones

According to an AP News, an Israeli defense contractor on Monday unveiled a remote-controlled armed robot it says can patrol battle zones, track infiltrators and open fire. The unmanned vehicle is the latest addition to the world of drone technology, which is rapidly reshaping the modern battlefield.

Proponents say such semi-autonomous machines allow armies to protect their soldiers, while critics fear this marks another dangerous step toward robots making life-or-death decisions.

The four-wheel-drive robot presented Monday was developed by the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries’ “REX MKII.”

It is operated by an electronic tablet and can be equipped with two machine guns, cameras and sensors, said Rani Avni, Deputy Head of the Company’s autonomous systems division. The robot can gather intelligence for ground troops, carry injured soldiers and supplies in and out of battle, and strike nearby targets.

It is the most advanced of more than half a dozen unmanned vehicles developed by Aerospace Industries’ subsidiary, ELTA Systems, over the past 15 years.

The Israeli military is currently using a smaller but similar vehicle called the Jaguar to patrol the border with the Gaza Strip and help enforce a blockade Israel imposed in 2007, after the tiny territory was seized by Hamas.

Gaza is home to 2 million Palestinians who have largely been locked in by the blockade, which is also supported to some extent by Egypt. The border area is the site of frequent protests and occasional attempts by Palestinian militants or desperate laborers to infiltrate into Israel.

According to the Israeli army’s website, the semi-autonomous Jaguar is equipped with a machine gun and was designed to reduce soldiers’ exposure to the dangers of patrolling the volatile Gaza-Israel border. It is one of many tools, including drones armed with guided missiles that have given the Israeli military vast technological superiority over Hamas.

Unmanned ground vehicles are being increasingly used by other armies, including those of the United States, Britain and Russia. Their tasks include logistical support, the removal of mines and firing weapons.

The tablet can control the vehicle manually. But many of its functions, including its movement and surveillance system, can also run autonomously.

“With every mission, the device collects more data which it then learns from for future missions,” said Yonni Gedj, an operational expert in the Company’s robotics division.

Critics have raised concerns that robotic weapons could decide on their own, perhaps erroneously, to shoot targets. The Company says such capabilities exist but are not being offered to customers.

“It is possible to make the weapon itself also autonomous, however, it is a decision of the user today,” Avni said. “The maturity of the system or the user is not there yet.”

Bonnie Docherty, a senior researcher from the arms division of Human Rights Watch, said such weapons are worrisome because they can’t be trusted to distinguish between combatants and civilians or make proper calls about the harm attacks may do to nearby civilians.

“Machines cannot understand the value of human life, which in essence undermines human dignity and violates human rights laws,” Docherty said. In a 2012 report, Docherty, a lecturer at Harvard Law School, called for fully automated weapons to be banned by international law.

The defense magazine Janes said the development of autonomous ground vehicles has lagged behind autonomous aircraft and boats because moving across land is far more complex than navigating water or air. Unlike the open ocean, vehicles have to deal with “holes in the road” and know exactly how much force to apply to overcome a physical obstacle, the report said.

The technology in self-driving vehicles also has raised concerns. Electric car manufacturer Tesla, among other companies, has been connected to a series of fatal accidents, including an incident in Arizona in 2018 when a woman was hit by a car driving on autopilot.

The Israeli drone vehicle is being showcased at this week’s Defense and Security System International arms trade show in London.