India is our trusted partner, says Russia

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, MAY 24. India being Russia's strategic partner, there can be no arms supplies to Pakistan, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Ilya Klebanov, said on Wednesday.

Mr. Klebanov, who oversees defence industry and arms trade, said India was Russia's ``Strategic Partner with capital letters''.

``India is a very serious and trusted strategic partner and by virtue of this all military contacts with Pakistan are frozen,'' he told reporters in Moscow.

Mr. Klebanov described the acquisition by India of the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier as the most important arms deal in the pipeline. ``It's a mammoth deal, it will be practically a new aircraft carrier,'' he added.

Mr. Klebanov said a time frame for signing various contracts for refitting the Admiral Gorshkov would be finalised in the next few days. The overhauled aircraft carrier will be fitted with a new ski-jump takeoff and will be capable of carrying 24 MiG-29K fighters and six helicopters armed with the latest Russian missiles.

Mr. Klebanov, who visited India last month, said his talks in New Delhi centred on strategic directions of military- technical cooperation between the two countries in the light of India's plans for modernising its armed forces.

Asked about possible security risks for India arising out of massive supplies of Russian arms to China, which Moscow also regards as its strategic partner, Mr. Klebanov said security of neither country should suffer because of Russian weapon exports.

Mr. Klebanov argued that a Government shakeup earlier this month will not affect Russian arms exports, which are set to grow from $3.4 billion in 1999 to $4.3 billion this year and to reach the level of $5.5-6 billion in the next few years.

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