NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — India's gradual tilt toward the United States could prevent Moscow-Delhi relations from developing further, a member of the Indian parliament told Sputnik on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, local media reported that Indian authorities had decided to purchase 22 US Apache attack helicopters and 15 Chinook heavy military transport helicopters, in a contract worth some $2.5 billion.
"Russia used to be a very important country [for India] for defense equipment or expertise in other areas. Indo-Russian friendship and economic cooperation should have grown in a bigger way, this has not happened because of the change in the government's attitude — moving closer to the US," Member of Parliament and National Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) D. Raja, said.
Raja stressed that closer ties with the United States, as well as with Israel, will not be in New Delhi's interest in the long run.
India and Russia have enjoyed good relations since the 1960s, underpinned by Russia's position as New Delhi’s foremost military supplier, particularly in the post-Cold War era.
In May, Indian President Pranab Mukherjee praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin's "great" contribution to the development of bilateral relations between the two countries.
