India and Russia will review the entire gamut of their defence and strategic ties during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s three-day visit to Moscow beginning on Tuesday. He will also co-chair the 19the Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Co-operation set up some years back to promote joint defence manufacturing in India.
The visit assumes significance as Russia is the most time tested ally of India for last many decades. Moreover, the Indian armed forces use weapons and allied systems of Russian and erstwhile Soviet Union origin.
In fact, the Russian origin weapons inventory in India is more than 70 per cent.
Giving details of Singh’s visit, defence ministry officials said here on Monday, the minister will hold extensive discussions with his counterpart General Sergei Shoigu covering all areas of military-to-military cooperation and defence industrial cooperation.
Singh is also scheduled to inaugurate, along with Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, ‘India-Russia Defence Industry Cooperation Conference’.
The Conference will discuss ways to promote defence industrial cooperation between India and Russia, technology transfer and investment in India in defence industry under the ‘Make in India’ programme.
