India-Russia bilateral ties may witness another new milestone. The two countries may embark on a major project to further strengthen their partnership. According to reports, Russia has proposed to build a direct rail link with India. This will enable rail traffic between the two countries.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin has made this proposal. In an interview with the country’s press agency ‘TASS’, he stated that the possibility of building a rail route to the Indian Ocean should be explored. According to him, the creation of an alternative rail network can reduce dependence on the current sea routes. Especially, there will be no need to rely too much on the Turkish waterway Bosphorus and the Iran-Oman territorial waters of the Hormuz system. Due to the US-Iran dispute, shipping traffic in the Hormuz system has been disrupted. Ships passing through it are being attacked. Therefore, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister said that an alternative rail route could prove to be important.
The proposed rail link to the Indian Ocean would not only open up a new trade route, but could also be part of Russia’s larger strategy. This could strengthen trade ties between the two countries. The proposed project would not only benefit India and Russia, but would also open up new trade opportunities for countries like Central Asia and Iran. However, building such a rail network would not be easy. The route, which would pass through many countries, would require huge investments, security arrangements, and long-term cooperation between the individual countries.
