Putin, Singh to discuss bilateral relations, Middle East, in Moscow
(Interfax – MOSCOW, October 21, 2013) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will discuss prospects of bilateral military and technical cooperation and the situation in Afghanistan and Syria during talks in Kremlin on October 21.
The coming meeting between the Russian president and Indian prime minister will be the third one in 2013.
“Bilateral military and technical cooperation is traditionally on the agenda of the summit. Military and technical cooperation with India was and is one of the priority aspects of the Russian-Indian partnership,” Putin’s press office said in a statement.
One more frigate, Trikand, built at a Russian dock by Indian request, was delivered to India in June 2013 and it is planned to deliver the Vikramaditya aircraft-carrying heavy cruiser to India in November, the Kremlin said. Tests being conducted on the cruiser are almost complete.
According to the assessment of Russia, joint projects on designing 5th generation destroyers, multi-purpose transport aircraft and BrahMos cruise missiles are being implemented successfully.
“Pressing issues of bilateral relations development, the situation in Afghanistan, Middle east and North Africa, firstly in Syria, are on the agenda of the coming meeting,” Putin’s press office said.
A joint statement reflecting the approaches of the two countries for further strategic partnership development, including increasing trade and economic cooperation and coordination of cooperation on pressing international issues, is planned to be signed following the high-level meeting, the Kremlin said.
A number of intergovernmental documents – in particular, the intergovernmental agreement on deporting people sentenced to prison time, the agreement on enhancing cooperation in energy efficiency, bio technologies and cooperation program in science and technologies – have been prepared for signing.
The positive dynamic of trade and economic ties between Moscow and Delhi remains. Mutual trade turnover in 2012 reached a record $11 billion and, according to the Russian statistics, trade turnover between Russia and India in January-June 2013 already amounted to $5.5 billion, the Kremlin said.
In 2012 the leaders of the two countries announced an ambitious goal to bring mutual trade turnover to $20 billion by 2015, the Kremlin said.
The volume of Russian capitals accumulated in the Indian economy is about $610 million and the Indian investments in Russia exceed $3.1 billion. Joint investments go, in particular, to projects in civil aviation, vehicle and tractor construction, petrochemicals, telecommunications, pharmacy and production of fertilizers.
Russia and India cooperate successfully in the energy sector as well, the Kremlin said. In particular, Russian experts are building new energy power plants in India (Konaseema and Barh thermal power plants, Teri and Balimela hydro power plants) on schedule.
The projects to launch the car plant in Hosur (to produce KAMAZ trucks) and the assembly production of bulldozer equipment in Maharashtra (Concern Tractor Plants) are close to completion, the press office said.
The official visit of the Indian prime minister to Russia will last until October 22.