Reflecting the importance Russia attaches to its ties with India, President Vladimir Putin will have a one-to-one meeting on May 9 with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who will be in Moscow on Sunday to attend the 60th anniversary celebrations of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Over 50 heads of state and government, including US President George W Bush, Chinese President Hu Jintao and French President Jacques Chirac are among the guests of honour invited by Putin to attend the events in memory of over 27 million Soviet people, mostly Russians, killed in the war.
However, the Indian prime minister would be among a select few, including Bush and Hu, with whom Putin will have one-to-one meetings.
According to well-informed Indian diplomatic sources, Singh and Putin are expected to review the progress in bilateral relations since their last summit in New Delhi in December and discuss a wide range of issues, including defence and energy security.
Product support, which is crucial for maintaining high rate of serviceability and combat readiness of very expensive weapon systems, is one of the main defence-related issues to be discussed by Singh with Putin.
At New Delhi's request, Moscow has agreed to open direct access to 20 original equipment manufacturers for quick delivery of spares.
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