The Russian Centre of Science and Culture (RCSC) in New Delhi hosted the opening of the photo exhibitions “Russian-Indian military cooperation” and “Armed forces and military equipment of the Russian Federation” dedicated to the celebration of Defender of the Fatherland Day in Russia.

The exposition of photo exhibitions prepared jointly with the Office of the Defence Attaché at the Russian Embassy in India, includes about 50 photographs of modern Russian weapons and equipment, as well as photographs of joint military exercises and visits by official delegations.

The event was attended by prominent Indian political and public figures, representatives and management of partner NGOs, students of local universities, as well as journalists. The main guests of the evening were: Dr Dalbir Singh, Co-Chairman of the international organization “Assembly of Peoples of Eurasia”, National Secretary, AICC, Air Marshal (Dr.) Pavan Kapoor, Vice Chairman of Rus Education, and Mr Konstantin Zadorin Defence Attaché at the Embassy of Russia in India.

In his speech, Major Dalbir Singh noted that he knows first-hand what it means to defend his Homeland since he himself was a participant in two wars. The Indian politician stressed that he had always admired the heroism and courage of Soviet soldiers, who, at the cost of incredible efforts, were able to defend their country during one of the bloodiest and most large-scale events in human history - World War II. “The main lesson that war teaches us is the value of peace. Today we live in a tense political, economic and social global environment. Our main goal and duty should be to preserve peace and resolve any conflict situations through an open dialogue with the participation of the entire world community. We are responsible for the kind of world our children and grandchildren will inherit,” he said.

Addressing the audience, Konstantin Zadorin noted that the military cooperation of the Russian Federation as the successor of the USSR has been carried out with India since 1960. In addition to the political and military component, a significant role in the development of relations between the Defence Ministries of our countries was played by the concluded contracts for the supply of weapons and military equipment worth more than 71 billion US dollars. The Defence Attaché stressed that during this time, with the technical assistance of Soviet and Russian specialists, more than 170 military facilities were created in India. “Today, very close contact and good interaction have been established between the Defence Departments of Russia and India. Every year visits by the leadership of the Ministry of Defence, the Command of the branches of the Armed Forces and combat arms, staff negotiations, exercises, and meetings of expert groups take place. The priority task of work on the development of Russian-Indian defence cooperation is seen by both countries as uniting efforts in ensuring security in the region,” Mr Zadorin said.

Expressing his appreciation for the assistance and support of the USSR and Russia in the development of India's defence capabilities, Marshal Pavan Kapoor said that today big part of the equipment in service at the Indian army, from airplanes to tanks, warships and submarines, is of Russian origin. He stressed that Russia has always been a true friend of India, and offered to honour the memory of those who paid the highest price while defending their Fatherland with a minute of silence.