Rajnath Singh's Russia Visit: Terrorism, organized crime top agenda

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will pay a three-day visit to Russia from November 27 to November 29, officials said on Wednesday.

Singh will hold meetings with the Minister for Internal Affairs of Russia, Vladimir Kolokoltsev and other top leaders. The meetings will cover mutual cooperation in tackling all forms of terrorism, ways to strengthen cooperation in tackling organized crime, smuggling of narcotics, fake currency notes, and cybercrime.  

As a prelude to the agreements to be signed, a meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gave its approval for the signing of the agreement on cooperation between India and Russia in the field of combating all forms of terrorism and organized crime.

India and Russia have a long history of close cooperation on matters of mutual interests. With the rise in the incidents of terrorism and organized crime across the world, it is imperative for countries to work together to combat all forms of terrorism, read the official statement.

The proposed pact, which will replace the agreement of October 1993, is a step towards consolidating the benefits accrued in the field of security and seeks to jointly fight the new and evolving risks and threats.

The agreement would reinforce the relationship between India and Russia through exchange and sharing of information, expertise, best practices, and would help in curbing terrorism and enhancing security in the region, it said.

Singh is also expected to sign Joint Action/ Implementation Plan for cooperation in areas of drugs and disaster management. The home minister will be accompanied by top officials of the home ministry and security agencies.