Moscow, Nov 11: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee arrived here tonight to a red carpet welcome for his summit meeting with strategic partner Russian President Vladimir Putin during a three-day visit that will seek to strengthen ties in defence, science and other sectors. Landing here on a breezy cold evening after an eight-hour flight that avoided Pakistani airspace, Vajpayee was received by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Alyoshin and Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov, senior officials and Indian ambassador K Raghunath.

The Prime Minister inspected an Interservices Ceremonial Guard of honour on the tarmac of Vunkovo Airport as temperatures dipped to three degrees celesius.

Shortly after his arrival, the Prime Minister went to Putin's sprawling 'Novo-Ogoryovo' Woodland Estate on the Banks of Moskva river on the city's outskirts for a private dinner. After formal talks at the Kremlin tomorrow with Putin, the fourth between the two leaders in the last 12 months, the two sides are slated to sign 10 agreements on cooperation in the fields of science, space, trade and industry. They include a declaration on global challenges.

Bureau Report