Russia made the commitment during the meeting between the Defense Minister Rajnath singh and his Russian counterpart, General Sergey Shoigu, in Moscow, the sources said.
Singh is currently on a three-day visit to Russia to attend the combined defense ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and participate in the 75th anniversary event to mark Victory Day.
The hour-long meeting between Singh and his Russian counterpart at the Russian Defense Ministry covered a wide range of areas of cooperation between the two countries, including defense and security.
“Excellent meeting with Russian Defense Minister General Sergey Shoigu in Moscow today. We discussed a wide range of issues, in particular how to deepen defense and strategic cooperation between the two countries,” Singh tweeted on Thursday.
Excellent meeting with the Russian Defense Minister, General Sergey Shoigu, today in Moscow. We are talking about a wide r… https://t.co/QptfTDhSV5
– Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) 1599145985000
Meanwhile, the eleventh edition of Exercise Indra Navy, a biennial bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Russian Navy is scheduled in the Bay of Bengal from September 4-5.
The defense minister noted that these exercises demonstrate the common interests of both countries in maritime security in the Indian Ocean region, according to a statement from the Indian Defense Ministry.
“There was a substantial overlap in positions regarding regional and international challenges in the areas of peace and security, reflecting the deep trust and security that both parties enjoy as strategic partners,” he said.
Singh expressed appreciation for the strong support provided by Russia in line with India’s defense and security needs and, in this context, highlighted in particular the timely manner in which the Russian side had responded to requests for the acquisition of systems of particular weapons.
Both parties will continue to maintain contacts to ensure timely delivery, according to the statement.
The Defense Minister briefed Gen Shoigu on the ‘Make-in-India’ defense program in the context of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Aatma Nirbhar Bharat vision. Both sides welcomed the progress of the discussions for the establishment in India of a joint venture between India and Russia for the production of AK203 assault rifles, which are considered one of the most modern weapons available to infantry forces.
“This provides a very positive basis for further participation of the Russian defense industry in the ‘Make-in-India’ program. General Shoigu reiterated the commitment of the Russian side to actively collaborate with the Ministry of Defense and the Government of India to ensure the success of ‘Make-in-India’ “. -in-India ‘which includes substantial participation in the upcoming Aero India Exhibition to be held in February next year, “the statement said.
Singh extended an invitation for his Russian counterpart to visit India for the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for Military and Technical Cooperation, which is expected to be held towards the end of this year.
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