Indo-Russian defence co-op key to ties: PM

As he prepared to meet President Dmitry Medvedev for the annual summit-level talks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said defence cooperation has been a "very important aspect" in Indo-Russian ties.

Singh arrived in Moscow on Sunday on a three-day visit, his sixth trip to Russia since 2004, that will see the inking of three agreements in the field of defence, including one for ending ad-hocism in servicing Russian military equipment. The two sides are also expected to sign a landmark framework agreement on civil nuclear cooperation.

"Cooperation in the field of defense has been a very important aspect of our cooperation with Russia," Singh told the Russia Today television channel. "We have been able to get equipment and technologies from Russia which were not available to us from any other countries," he noted.

Reflecting the warmth in the bilateral ties, the Russian President hosted a private dinner last night for Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur at his countryside residence in Barvikha outside Moscow, an honour so far accorded only to US President Barack Obama. Over dinner, Medvedev and Singh held informal discussions on a wide range of issues including nuclear cooperation and conventional energy.

Image: Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (R) shakes hands with India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as they meet at the presidential residence in Barvikha, outside Moscow.

Photograph: Reuters/Mikhail Klimentyev