India, Russia To Hold 10th Meeting On Defense Relations

The 10th annual Indian-Russian meeting to review defense ties will be held here Oct. 7. The two sides of the India Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation will discuss wants to boost defense relations, said a senior Indian Defence Ministry official

Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov will co-chair the commission with Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony.

An Indian Defence Ministry release says, "the two Defence Ministers are also expected to discuss regional and global security issues. India and Russia share long-standing friendly relations. Since the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries in the year 2000, the two governments have steadily developed and strengthened bilateral cooperation covering a range of areas, of which defense forms a significant component. The two countries share a vibrant and a multifaceted military technical cooperation which includes not only supply of defense equipment and systems but also collaboration in [research and development] and production."

The commission, headed by the two defense ministers, was instituted in 2000 to further bilateral defense cooperation. The previous nine meetings have alternated between New Delhi and Moscow.

India and Russia have already signed an agreement committing them to military cooperation until 2020. The two countries have agreed to jointly build a fifth-generation fighter aircraft for use by both air forces.