M K Narayanan meets Russian deputy PM

National Security Advisor M K Narayanan had a crucial meeting on Thursday with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, who is also defence minister, to finalise the agenda of the Indo-Russian summit on January 25 in New Delhi. They also discussed a wide range of sensitive issues.

At the start of the meeting Ivanov said that with Narayanan he intends to discuss issues of international security, situation in crisis regions and 'hot spots' in the world.

Welcoming Narayanan in the Defence Ministry building near the Kremlin, Ivanov noted that ties between India and Russia have been 'moving forward and getting deeper' after the signing of strategic partnership agreement in 2000, when President Vladimir Putin first visited India.

"I am pleased to state that shortly, the Russian President will a pay a visit to New Delhi. We have regular contacts and consultations through our foreign ministries, very shortly, I also hope to once again visit Delhi for co-chairing the inter-governmental commission on military-technical cooperation," Ivanov said.

Underscoring the 'problem-free' relations between the two countries, Narayanan said that the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is currently busy preparing for the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin to make it a great event, highly significant for bilateral relations.

During Narayanan's parleys with Ivanov, who is Kremlin's pointman for direct contacts with the PMO, sensitive issues pertaining to defence cooperation were also believed to be discussed as Director of Russian Federal Service for Military Cooperation with Foreign Countries Mikhail Dmitriyev was also present during the meeting along with several key defence officials.

India and Russia are believed to be engaged for several years in sensitive negotiations over the sale/lease of Tu-22M3 'Backfire' strategic bombers and two Akula class nuclear submarines to enhance Indian NavyFs blue water capability, although both Russian and Indian officials and diplomats have declined to comment.