Ruso-Indian/Indo-Russian Cooperation

From RIA Novosti:

NEW DELHI, November 30 (RIA Novosti) – Russia and India embark on new forms of co-operation in the military and technological area, said Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov.

“We have recently been taking up new forms of co-operation that are not restricted to the trite sell-and-buy formula, but involve joint hi-tech productions, including the production of hi-tech equipment for sales in the third countries,” said Ivanov. He arrived in the Indian capital on Tuesday to attend a session of the joint Russian-Indian working group for military, and military and technological co-operation, due on December 1-2.

“The Russian-Indian co-operation has long been based on strategic partnership, the military, and military and technological co-operation are the cornerstone of such partnership,” the minister said.

“I think my Indian colleague Pranab Mukherjee and I will have a great opportunity to discuss all issues of military, and military and technological co-operation, interaction in security, including the situation in different flashpoints, above all, in Eurasia, including Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East,” the minister said.

Russia has so far concluded long-term military and technological contracts with India to the sum of $5 billion, Ivanov said.

The minister explained that these had been laid down in contracts and would be implemented in the next 5-7 years.

Ivanov also said that, presently, India accounted for about 35% of Russia’s total military and technological co-operation.

“In all, the India-Russia trade accounted for $33 billion since 1960,” he noted.

The implementation of the Russian-Indian contract for selling the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier to India is proceeding as scheduled, Ivanov said.

“Three stages of the Admiral Gorshkov contract have been implemented. Several tens of Indian representatives have already examined the work,” said the minister. Everything is going according to the schedule, stressed Ivanov.

and…

NEW DELHI, November 30 (RIA Novosti) – Russia and India are to stage war games of paratroopers at the end of 2005 as part of joint combat training,” said Russian Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov on coming to New Delhi. He mentioned that the scale and detailed plan of these exercises were yet to be discussed with the Indian side. The Indian airborne troops today is 100 percent equipped with Russia made weaponry, according to Ivanov.

The minister did not rule out the continued Russian Indian exercises on Russian territory. “We can invite Indians afterwards to visit us, say, in Siberia, to perfect the skills.”

Russia is to supply India before the end of the year with ten Su-30MKI aircraft. “Under the contract in effect, we are to deliver the last ten planes of this model before the end of the year,” said Ivanov.

Realising the scope of our cooperation with India in arms trade, Russia is prepared to set up in India centres to service military technology as well as spare parts depots for combat vehicles.

Russia and India are likely to sign soon an agreement on protection of intellectual property. ‘Though our trade in military hardware is extensive, we are still lacking such a document,” said the minister.

He doubted that such an agreement would be signed during his current visit to India but added that key points pertaining to this document could be handled during further talks in the next four days.

India’s assistance in Russia’s admission to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) will top the agenda of President Vladimir Putin’s forthcoming visit to India, noted Ivanov.

“India has not yet made any official statement about its consent to assist in Russia’s admission to the WTO,” he said. “Naturally, this issue, including arms trade, will be central to Vladimir Putin’s visit to India,” said Ivanov. He intends to meet with Maxim Medvedkov, head of the Russian delegation at the talks on Russia’s entry to the WTO, now in New Delhi.