In a first such donation of its kind, Russian Government’s main defence export body, Rosoboronexport has contributed $2million to the newly set up ‘PM CARES Fund’, diplomatic and government sources confirmed. The money has already been transferred and this donation to the fund was made to help out the government’s efforts to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Traditionally India has been one of the major partners of Rosoboronexport as of the supplier of military products. Now it is helping India in the humanitarian domain. The amount of donation is $2 million”, sources said.
Adding, “This is an act of solidarity in countering the new epidemiological threat.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund on March 28 and had made a personal appeal on social media and directed Indian missions worldwide to invite contributions for the fund.
The PM CARES fund has received the donation from Rosoboronexport for the purposes of acquiring the medical equipment and medical protective gear.
Indian Embassy in Moscow has publicized PM CARES Fund broadly. The Indian ambassador to Russia D. Bala Venkatesh Varma made a video appeal to publicize PM CARES Fund in Russia.
In October of 2018 the last big deal was signed between India and Rosoboronexport for the S400 air defence missile system. Rosoboronexport is the largest source of India’s arms imports and the first foreign donor to acknowledge its contribution to PM CARES fund.
Indian govt has announced that PM CARES Fund, being a public charitable trust will accept a contribution from India and abroad “keeping in mind the unprecedented nature of the pandemic”
