Moscow: India on Tuesday voiced confidence that
its agreement with Russia on a 10-year military and technical
cooperation from 2011 would help enhance the operational
capability of its defence forces in the next decade.
The agreement which was among the three defence pacts
signed between India and Russia after the annual summit talks
between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev provides for acquisition, licensed production,
upgrades and modernisation of defence equipment as well as the
development of new and advanced weapon systems.
"The agreement would help enhance operational capability
of Indian Defence forces in the next decade by providing
various Defence equipment systems," Foreign Secretary Nirupama
Rao told newsmen wrapping up the prime minister's talks with
the Russian leadership that also included Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin, who as the earlier Russian President sowed the
seeds for Russia's strategic partnership with India.
"... (it) will also facilitate capacity development of
the Indian Defence Industry," she said.
Taking bilateral defence ties to a new high, the
agreement on After Sales Support for the Russian Arms and
Military equipment supplied to India is being seen by Indian
officials as an excercise to facilitate timely and adequate
supply of spares and services for maintaining a high level of
readiness and integrated maintenance of Russian made military
equipment supplied to India.
Rao noted that Indian and Russian leaders have focussed
on priority areas of bilateral partnership and how the two
countries intend to take this forward through intensive
efforts in the coming months ahead.
At the India-Russia CEO's Council meeting last night, Rao
said the Russian co-chair of the council Vladimir Evtushenkov
spoke of the prospects for cooperation in the field of
telecommunications.
The potential for collaboration in the pharmaceutical
industry was also stressed at the meeting, she said.
The Prime Minister at a news conference yesterday
underscored how India could help in supplying affordable drugs
to Russia because of the excellent knowhow it had in this
field.
Both Singh and Medvedev spoke of the potential for India
and Russia to forge ties in the pharmaceutical industry.
The Indian co-chair Mukesh Ambani spoke of the
opportunities for Russian participation in the infrastructure
development sector and cooperation in pharmaceuticals,
including joint development of new technologies in the Health
sector, as also telecommunications.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 08, 2009, 09:58