India’s dependence on Russian weapons not in Germany’s interests: Defence Minister Boris Pistorius

India remaining dependent on Russian weapons is not in Germany’s interest, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Monday as he begins a four-day visit to the country. Pistorius is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday and the focus of the discussions is likely to be on expanding bilateral defence industrial cooperation.

It is expected that India’s plan to procure six stealth conventional submarines at a cost of around Rs 43,000 crore will figure in the talks as one of the contenders of the contract is Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).

“It is not up to Germany to change that on our own,” Pistorius told German state-owned broadcaster DW during an interview while replying to a question on India’s dependence on Russian weaponry. “This is an issue we have to solve jointly with other partners. But of course, we can’t have an interest in the long run that India is so dependent on Russia’s delivery of weapons or other materials,” he said.

Pistorius is arriving in India after visiting Singapore and Indonesia.

“I want to send a signal that we are willing to support our partners, our reliable partners like Indonesia, like India,” he said. “And that includes, for example, the possibility of delivering submarines,” Pistorius added without elaborating. In Singapore, he attended the Shangri-La Dialogue.

“I came here because this region will be shaping the 21st century in regards of security, freedom of navigation (and) international economic challenges,” Pistorius said.

“And therefore, the region is important not only for Germany, but for Europe as a whole.”

People familiar with the agenda of the Singh-Pistorius talks said the project relating to the submarine is set to figure in the discussions.

In June 2021, the defence ministry had cleared the mega project to domestically build six conventional submarines for the Indian Navy at a cost of around Rs 43,000 crore.

The submarines will be built under the much-talked-about strategic partnership model that allows domestic defence manufacturers to join hands with leading foreign defence majors to produce high-end military platforms to reduce import dependence.

The German defence minister will be on a four-day visit to India beginning June 5.

Apart from his meeting with Singh, Pistorius is likely to meet officials of a few defence start-ups during an event to be organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) in Delhi.

On June 7, he is scheduled to travel to Mumbai where he is likely to visit the headquarters of the Western Naval Command and the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited.