Ties with Delhi second to none; Kashmir belongs to India: Russian envoy Nikolay Kudashev

New Delhi: Reaffirming close ties between New Delhi and Moscow, Russian envoy to India Nikolay Kudashev has said that the time-tested bilateral relationship between the two nations is "second to none" Speaking to reporters, Kudashev said, "Our relationship with India is second to none. This is a relationship which is a privileged strategic partnership."

"We supply topmost technology and weapons, committed to Indian industries like nuclear," the Russian envoy stated further.

The comments came days ahead of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's India visit next week. PM Modi will travel to Russia in May and, in response to it, Russian President Vladimir Putin can visit India by the end of the year. 

On Kashmir, Kudashev reiterated his government's stand saying, "Kashmir is an internal matter of India, it belongs to the constitutional space of India. We always consider the internal affairs of your country."

When quizzed about the recent foreign envoys' visit to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Kudashev said, while he hasn't got "official invitation" but "as far as India inviting other envoys is concerned, it is a sovereign matter of India. I do not feel obliged to comment on the matter."

Explaining, "No doubt, as far as geopolitics in Kashmir is concerned, if somebody has some doubts or issues, let them travel, it is my personal comment."

Russia is also going to train Indian astronauts for the Gaganyaan mission - the first manned Indian mission to space. 

On the mission, the envoy said, "space is established entity of our cooperation and we have been willing to contribute...based on our common conviction of peacefull and open outerspace".