Putin: Russia to help India build nuclear industry

Russia will help India build nuclear industry, including help in training of qualified personnel, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

He also emphasized that Moscow and New Delhi were going to simplify the visa regime. As the head of state explained at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, it is necessary for specialists’ trips, including Russians who are helping in the creation of India’s nuclear industry.

Putin acknowledged that Russia and India “have been long debating” on the topic of visa-free regime. Russian President said that it was extremely important for the implementation of major joint projects, particularly in the nuclear industry and the defense industry.

According to Putin, in the near future he will hold a meeting with the new Prime Minister of India, leader of the winning party Narendra Modi.

Russia-India Trade to Exceed $30-35 Billion Soon

Mutual trade volume between Russia and India should reach $30-35 billion in the near future, the president of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO), Rafeeque Ahmed, told Itar-Tass Monday.

He believes Russia is a very promising market for India. Mutual trade of $20 billion, to be achieved by 2015 against the current $12 billion, was not a large amount, he added, and the target of $30-35 billion was an easily achievable goal.

The financier believes the two countries are to take steps for the sake of better understanding of each other’s markets; they need a dialogue between both countries’ trade delegations at each other’s exhibitions. He added that several items of exports could be chosen and then built up from. For instance, he mentioned India’s well-developed textile industry. Exporters might be dispatched to Russia to see on sight what Russian customers needed the most, to identify bottlenecks in relations between suppliers and buyers and eliminate them.

According to Rafeeque Ahmed, nuclear power was among the planks of future bilateral cooperation. As soon as the first energy unit of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant has been launched, Russia might take part in the construction of more energy units in India, he believes.

On November 18, 2013 Sergei Shoigu Took Part in the 13th Session of the Russian – Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation

On November 18, 2013 Sergei Shoigu Took Part in the 13th Session of the Russian – Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation.

The sides summed up the joint activities in the sphere of military – technical cooperation for the past year and outlined priorities for its further development.

According to the results of the work of the Commission there was signed the final protocol, which identified the areas of bilateral military- technical cooperation and specified the realization of ongoing projects. The Indian delegation was headed by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of India Arakaparambil Kurian Antony, who had arrived in the Russian capital on November 16, 2013 for an official visit.

Vladimir Putin to Discuss Cooperation in Military Technical and Nuclear Areas with the Prime Minister of India

The situation in the Middle East and North Africa, military-technical cooperation and collaboration in high-technology areas are the main topics of the talks to be held in the Kremlin today between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. After the negotiations it is planned to adopt a joint statement and sign several intergovernmental agreements.

As the President’s press service explained, the statement will reflect “the approaches of the two countries to further development of the strategic partnership, including enhancing trade and economic cooperation and the coordination of cooperation on international issues .” The bilateral relations themselves, according to the Kremlin, are “of the special nature of privileged strategic partnership.” According to the press service of the Kremlin, “a number of bilateral intergovernmental agreements are ready to be signed.”

Indian Prime Minister Visit to Russia

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will arrive in Russia on an official visit on October 20-22, India’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

The Indian Prime Minister will visit Russia at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to take part in the 14th Russian-Indian summit, the ministry said.

During his visit Manmohan Singh will hold talks with Putin to develop relations of privileged and strategic partnership with Russia in addition to other bilateral obligations.

Russia and India host such summits in turns every two years.

After his visit to Russia the Indian prime minister will go to China at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang.

The Intergovernmental Commission of India and Russia Discussed Cooperation Issues

Russian-Indian intergovernmental commission at the meeting on Friday discussed the issues of trade-economic and scientific cooperation.

The meeting was held by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and India’s Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid.

“Today, it is signed the final protocol, which reflects all the areas of cooperation for the upcoming year in all areas and industries,” – the Director of the Department of Economic Development in Asia and Africa Evgeny Popov told reporters on Friday before the meeting.

Among the major prospects of cooperation, he singled out energy, where there was reached an agreement on the possibilities of long-term supply of liquefied natural gas to India and on the ability of the Indian side to enter the Russian project “Yamal”.

According to Popov, at the end of 2012, the trade turnover between Russia and India reached its historic maximum of $ 11 billion.

Russian and Indian Foreign Ministers Discuss Preparations for Summit

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Russia and India, Sergei Lavrov and Salman Khurshid, who is currently in Moscow on an official visit, held talks on Wednesday.

A Russian Foreign Ministry official said that the two Ministers review the implementation of the accords reached during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official visit to India in December 2012.

The Foreign ministers of Russia and India discussed preparations for the forthcoming contacts at summit level, as well as for a RIC (Russia, India, China) ministerial meeting and bilateral and international matters of current importance. “Special attention was paid to the situation in Syria, the Middle East, and North Africa, and to interaction within the UN framework, as well as in the formats of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization),” the Ministry official said.

Indian Weapon Market Remains Strongly Linked to Russian Weapons

India’s Defense Ministry is planning to lease several Russian submarines. This is linked to the fact that the Indian Navy will shortly decommission all obsolete Russian- and German-built submarines, and about 7 or 8 vessels will remain in service. At the same time, it will take a long time to build or buy submarines, the Indian Navy says.

Former commander of the Indian Navy Admiral Arun Prakash said the Indian Navy might lease at least two submarines from Russia. A decision to conclude leasing contracts with Russia is dictated by not only military but also political motives. India has long been considered as Russia’s strategic partner.

The two countries have established strong military and technical cooperation. Russian and Indian engineers and designers have long been working on joint projects for ships as well as individual weapons.

The possible decision on leasing Russian submarines is not linked to the blast on the INS Sindhurakshak built at the Admiralteisky Shipyard in St. Petersburg. India might lease diesel and electric powered submarines of the 877 project.

Matvienko to Discuss the Development of Russia-India ties in New Delhi

On Monday Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko begins an official visit to India, which will last until February 27. The program includes the talks with her colleagues in the Indian Parliament and meetings with the leadership of the country.

In New Delhi Federation Council delegation headed by Matvienko is going to discuss the ways to intensify cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries and the prospects for the expansion of Russia-India cooperation in the economic sphere, particularly the possibility of increasing cooperation at the regional level, in the humanitarian sphere. In addition, it is expected that there will be discussed current international issues.

After her visit to India the head of the upper chamber of parliament will fly to Pakistan, where she is also scheduled to meet the leadership of the republic.