Search the Internet           Tips

Putin to launch strategic partnership with India

Putin, who arrived in New Delhi on Monday evening for the first visit by a Russian president in nearly eight years, was accorded a ceremonial state welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan by President K R Narayanan.

Following a brief meeting with External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, Putin was scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, followed by the signing of a 'strategic partnership' and a dozen other bilateral accords.

Talking to reporters after the ceremony, Putin said his talks would include discussions on jointly combating international terrorism, but stressed that the main thrust of his visit was to lay the foundations for a new and comprehensive Indo-Russian relationship.

"We are more interested in economic, cultural and scientific relations and the development of our relations in the military, technical and other fields," Putin said. "But of course, combating terrorism is a very important part of our work," he added.

Russia and India are both struggling to curb the threat of armed Islamic separatists, in Chechnya and Jammu and Kashmir, respectively.

"As regards our strategic partnership, first of all, we mean the long-term nature of our co-operation in various fields," Putin said.

The strategic partnership to be signed by Putin and Vajpayee has been hailed by both sides as a watershed document that will revive and redefine a bilateral relationship that has somewhat lost its way since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Both sides have stressed that the strategic partnership is not aimed at any third country and should not be seen as a military alliance.

The two countries, which enjoyed extremely close Cold War ties, will also sign a series of multi-million dollar military contracts, for the purchase of Russian MiG-29K fighters, T-90 battle tanks and for the manufacture under licence of SU-30 fighter planes in India. They will also ink a treaty on the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

"As regards the nuclear field, we are progressing quite adequately in this area," said Putin, who will visit India's premier nuclear research centre, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Bombay, on Thursday.

Despite pressure from the United States, which imposed sanctions on India in the wake of its 1998 nuclear tests, Russia is pressing ahead with plans to construct two nuclear reactors in Tamil Nadu.

Putin, accompanied on his visit by a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Igor Ivenov and Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev, drove to the ceremony at the presidential palace flanked by an escort of mounted lancers.

The president was accorded a 21-gun salute and reviewed a guard of honour, before being presented to senior members of the Indian government.

Putin's visit will also seek to offer some sustenance to bilateral trade, which is currently worth only around $1.6 billion, compared to $5.5 billion in 1991.

AFP

ALSO SEE
Putin greeted at Rashtrapati Bhavan

The Putin visit: The full coverage

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report