Moscow-New Delhi coop developing in all spheres -- FM.

NEW DELHI, March 12 (Itar-Tass) - Cooperation between Russia and India
is successfully developing in all spheres, Indian Foreign Minister
Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna told Itar-Tass in an interview.
"Our cooperation with Russia has been developing and continues to
develop in all spheres. We have strong ties in the spheres of defence,
space, science and technology. We are cooperating well in the energy
sphere and are working on the further strengthening of our trade-economic
relations, as well as continue to closely interact in the sphere of
culture," the foreign minister is certain.
Krishna recalled that this year it will be 10 years since the signing
by Russia and India on the Declaration on Strategic Partnership. "Over the
past decade our relations have literally flourished," the minister said in
this connection. He pointed to the "invaluable contribution of Russia to
supplying India with weapons and military equipment." "Cooperation in the
spheres of space, high technologies and peaceful uses of atomic power has
been rapidly developing according to the mutual interest," the minister
continued. "The trade turnover and investment volume between the two
countries is growing, and Russian-Indian interaction in the sphere of
culture is only deepening," he noted.
"It is not accidentally that this happened during the period when
Vladimir Putin first became Russia's president and then prime minister -
his personal contribution to the strengthening of cooperation with India
has become an important factor of the positive dynamics of its development
over this decade," the Indian foreign minister pointed out. "Vladimir
Putin has become the author of our strategic partnership," Krishna
stressed.
"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is looking forward to the possibility
to exchange views on the further expansion and strengthening of our
interaction with the Russian premier who arrived on a visit to us," the
foreign minister said. Touching upon the agreements that are planned to be
signed within the framework of Putin's working visit to India, Krishna
noted that "they will help to bring the Russian-Indian broad-spectrum
partnership to a qualitatively new level."
During the Cold War, India and the Soviet Union enjoyed a strong
strategic, military, economic and diplomatic relationship. After the
collapse of the USSR, India improved its relations with the West but it
continued its close relations with Russia. India is the second largest
market for Russian arms industry. In 2004, more than 70% of the Indian
Military's hardware came from Russia, making Russia the chief supplier of
arms. India has an embassy in Moscow and 2 Consulates-General (in Saint
Petersburg and Vladivostok). Russia has an embassy in New Delhi and 4
Consulates-General (in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai). Since 2000
and the visit of Vladimir Putin in India there have been an Indo-Russian
Strategic Partnership.
Defence relations between India and the Russian Federation have a
historical perspective. Russia has been an important supplier of defence
goods for several decades. Today, the cooperation is not limited to a
buyer-seller relationship but includes joint research and development,
training, service to service contacts, including joint exercises. The last
joint naval exercises took place in April 2007 in the Sea of Japan and
joint airborne exercises were held in September 2007 in Russia.
There is an Inter-Governmental commission on military-technical
cooperation co-chaired by the two Defence Ministers. The Seventh session
of this Inter-Governmental Commission was held in October 2007 in Moscow.
During the visit, an Agreement on joint development and production of
prospective multi role fighters was signed between the two countries.
India-Russia original co-operation agreement was signed in December
1988. It has seen the trade of a multitude of defence equipment to India
and also the emergence of that country as a development partner as opposed
to purely a buyer. Two programmes that evidence this approach are the
projects to form Indian-Russian joint ventures to develop and produce the
Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) and the Multirole Transport
Aircraft (MTA).
India and Russia have several major joint military programmes such as
the following: BrahMos cruise missile programme; INS Vikramaditya aircraft
carrier programme; 5th generation fighter jet programme; Sukhoi Su-30MKI
programme (230+ to be built by Hindustan Aeronautics); Ilyushin/HAL
Tactical Transport Aircraft; Additionally, India has purchased/leased
several military hardware from Russia: T-90S Bhishma programme (1000+ to
be built in India); Akula-II nuclear submarine (2 to be leased with an
option to buy them when the lease expires); Tu-22M3 bombers (4 ordered);
US$900 million upgrade of MiG-29; Mil Mi-17 (80 ordered); Ilyushin Il-76
Candid (6 ordered to fit Israeli Phalcon radar).
Russia's MiG-35 is competing in the Indian MRCA Competition and is
considered to be the front-runner for the winning bid, given India's
already, largely Russian-built air force. The Farkhor Air Base in
Tajikistan is currently jointly operated by India and Russia.
The bilateral trade turnover is modest and stood at 3 billion US
dollars in 2006-07, out of which Indian exports to Russia were valued at
908 million US dollars.
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