President leaves for visit to Russia, Tajikistan

New Delhi, Sept 2 (PTI) India President Pratibha Patil
Wednesday embarked on her maiden visit to Russia seeking to
consolidate the relations between the "close friends and
partners" in the changed global geo-political situation.

She will also travel to Tajikistan during her week-long
two-nation tour.

Patil, who is leading a large delegation including
India Petroleum Minister Murli Deora, was seen off at the
airport by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee besides
other dignitaries.

During her four-day stay in Russia, she will hold talks
with President Dmitry Medvedev on a wide range of bilateral,
regional and global issues. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will
also meet her.

Ahead of her visit, Patil said India "is committed to
develop relations of close and large-scale bilateral
cooperation and partnership with Russia."

In an interview to Russian news agency Itar-Tass, she
underlined that "despite the serious situation and changes
that emerged over the past decades in the global geo-political
situation, India and Russia remain close friends and partners,
while our desire to consolidate our relations are constantly
confirmed at top political level."

Describing Russia as a "reliable friend that passed the
test of time", she hoped the bilateral ties will be further
strengthened with her maiden visit to that country.

India has a "firm feeling of emotional attachment to
Russia", she said.


India's partnership with Russia is based on mutual
trust, friendship and all-round cooperation and the visit
would further consolidate the "deep and abiding" friendship
between the two countries, India Foreign Secretary Nirupama
Rao said on the President's visit.

"Our wideranging cooperation on defence, nuclear
energy and space formed the solid bedrock" of ties with
Russia, Rao said adding both countries shared a common
interest in pursuing peace and stability in the 21st century.

Several high level exchange of visits have taken place
between the two countries and during the visit of Russian
President's visit here last year, a number of important
documents were signed.

Cooperation in the construction of additional nuclear
power plant units at Kudankulam site as well as in the
construction of Russian designed nuclear power plants at new
sites in India was among the agreements initialled.

Defence relations between the two countries have a
historical perspective and the cooperation has not been
restricted to a buyer-seller relationship but extended to
joint research and development, training and service to
service contacts.

Energy sector is an important area in Indo-Russian
bilateral relations. ONGC-Videsh Limited has acquired 20 per
cent stake in the Sakhalin-I oil and gas project in the
Russian Federation and has invested about 2.8 billion dollars
in the project, one of the largest investments by India
abroad.

The bilateral trade in 2007-08 was USD 3.41 billion,
highly favourable to Russia.


In the second leg, the President would visit
Tajikistan, the first-ever visit by an Indian President to the
Central Asian region, and take part in the National Day
celebrations of that country, a rare honour accorded to a
foreign dignitary.

During her three-day stay in Dushanbe from September
six, Patil would meet Tajikistan President Emomali Rakhmon.

Besides addressing the Tajikistan Parliament, the
President would address the India-Tajikistan Joint Business
Forum along with her Tajikistan counterpart.

The visit is expected to provide an opportunity to the
two leaders to reaffirm the bilateral ties at the highest
level and discuss bilateral and regional issues of mutual
interest.

Tajikistan's deposits of oil and gas are not fully
exploited at present and the government there is seeking to
tap this potential.

Tajikistan's abundance of metals and minerals makes it
the country with one of the richest natural resources in the
region. PTI MS