By Prensa Latina
New Delhi : Russian Prime Minister Viktor A. Zubkov’s visit to India has contributed to dissipating misunderstandings and boosting bilateral relations, which New Delhi described as special and strategic.
Zubkov wound up a very successful two-day working visit to India on Wednesday.
The two governments signed memorandums of understanding to strengthen and expand military ties, foster trade substantially, and fight drug trafficking and mercantile and customs crimes. They also confirmed their accord on civil nuclear cooperation.
According to the latter, Russia will assist India in building another four thermonuclear plants in Kudankulam, where two 1,000-megawatt light-water reactors are under construction.
However, the new civil nuclear pact will come into force after India finalizes the agreement that is negotiating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Zubkov, who described India as “a trustworthy friend”, said Russia “will continue its cooperation in civil nuclear energy and the peaceful use of space.”
“The ties between our two countries guarantee a multipolar world,” said Zubkov, who urged to deepen collaboration in that direction.
In the economic field, Moscow and New Delhi agreed to open their markets by virtue of a Comprehensive Agreement on Economic Cooperation to increase bilateral trade from four billion dollars at present to ten billion dollars in 2010.
In order to negotiate that integrationist model, which will include China and Brazil in the future, the two countries decided to set up a Joint Working Group.
Zubkov and his Indian counterpart, Manmohan Singh, agreed to double bilateral trade over the next three years, especially in the sectors of oil, gas, mining, technology, transportation and energy.
Indian Trade and Industry Minister Kamal Nath pointed out that Russian companies are interested in such Indian sectors as engineering, iron and steel industry, automobile, aviation and infrastructural development.
In the military field, Zubkov and Singh settled the misunderstanding caused by Russia’s request to charge India more for the modernization of the aircraft carrier Gorchakov.
The two countries even plan to export a missile system developed by the Indian-Russian joint venture BrahMos, which was designed for the Indian Armed Forces.