NEW DELHI: In an important development India and Russia have agreed to a roadmap for the development of bilateral defence cooperation which aims to enhance cooperation in the field of political and military dialogue, exercises, exchange of visits, military cooperation and training of military personnel.
The decision was taken at the meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation that concluded in Moscow, in which Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and his Russian counterpart General Sergey Shoigu signed a roadmap for boosting bilateral military cooperation.
Jaitley was on a four-day visit to Russia to boost strategic and military ties between the old allies.
Both sides stressed on the potential of the cooperation in the spheres of missile and naval technologies, aircraft construction, shipbuilding and modernisation of the land forces equipment.
According to the statement issued by the ministry of defence here in the national capital, the discussions were productive and held in an atmosphere of warmth and friendship. India's military technical cooperation with Russia is one of the key pillars of our relations with Russia.
During the meeting, Jaitley conveyed the utmost importance of having a robust and reliable after-sale support mechanism with regard to serviceability of Russian origin equipment and new opportunities for participation of Russian companies in the Indian defence manufacturing sector, as part of the 'Make in India' programme, under the new strategic partnership policy of the Government of India.
Both sides also agreed to conclude various ongoing negotiations for different platforms, as well as restructure the Intergovernmental Commission to enhance military to military cooperation.
It was decided that the next meeting of the Commission will take place in India next year on mutually convenient dates.
Jaitley said the meeting would review the entire range of military and military-technical cooperation issues between India and Russia within the framework of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
Moreover, the Defence Ministers of both countries gave high praise to anti-terror and naval exercises, which were held last year. Also, they confirmed the arrangement of holding a joint Russian-Indian inter-specific exercises "Indra-2017" on the Russian territory this autumn.