Russia and India have signed new weapons deals worth billions of dollars, during a visit to Delhi by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Indian Premier Manmohan Singh and Putin signed a $1.6billion deal for 46 Sukhoi fighter jets, which will be assembled in India from Russian parts. The two leaders also signed a $1.3billion dollar for 71 Mil Mi-17 military helicopters.
"We agreed to further strengthen the traditions of close co-operation in the military and technical areas," Mr Putin said in New Delhi.
While Russia has been the largest supplier of arms to India, in recent years India has increasingly turned to western countries for their military hardware.
Trade between the two countries has increased six-fold since 2000, and although growth has slowed in recent years, trade is still worth around $10billion a year.
Writing in The Hindu ahead of his visit, President Putin said that they aim to reach $20billion worth of trade by 2015.
“I will take the liberty to outline joint prospects for strategic partnership between India and Russia in the 21 century,” he said.
“These are deepening of cooperation in knowledge-intensive fields based on strong historic traditions, advancement of joint products to international markets, further increasing of the share of high value added products in the trade turnover, enhancing the role and effectiveness of Indian-Russian interaction in international affairs, and the widest possible realization of the potential of cultural and humanitarian contacts.”
Putin also praised the construction of the controversial Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu.
“The construction of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant with the use of the most reliable and up-to-date technologies and standards became a major breakthrough project in that field.
“The beginning of operation of the first power unit of that plant will allow to significantly reduce the energy deficiency in southern States of India, and eventually eliminate it completely, after the launch of the second and other power units. We expect that the implementation of our arrangements on the construction of new NPPs in India will begin in the nearest future.”
Some activists in Tamil Nadu have been protesting against the plant over security risks and environmental concerns.
