Indo-Russian JWG to be upgraded

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, JUNE 29. Defence cooperation between India and Russia will be raised to a new higher level, the Defence Ministers of the two countries announced at the end of their talks in Moscow.

The visiting Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandes, and his Russian counterpart, Marshal Igor Sergeyev, spared no words in praising the results of their three days of negotiations that ended on Thursday.

While Mr. Fernandes described his discussions with the Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, and Marshal Sergeyev as ``path- breaking'', the Russian Defence Minister said the talks had been ``extremely successful and fruitful''.

The five-day visit of Mr. Fernandes was part of preparations for a bilateral summit in early October, when Mr. Putin will go to India to sign a declaration on strategic partnership.

The two sides decided to upgrade the apex coordinating body for bilateral defence cooperation from a joint working group headed by Deputy Defence Ministers to a ministerial-level joint commission to be co-chaired by Mr. Fernandes and the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Ilya Klebanov. The commission ``will enable us to see to it that the ongoing cooperation is raised to a higher level and every issue of mutual security be taken care of,'' Mr. Fernandes said at a joint news conference with Marshal Sergeyev.

At the end of the talks, which included a meeting of the joint working group on defence cooperation, co-chairmen of the working group, the Defence Secretary, Mr. T. R. Prasad, and the First Deputy Defence Minister, Mr. Nikolai Mikhailov, signed a protocol setting out guidelines for further bilateral interaction.

According to Mr. Fernandes, the protocol deals with security issues, military technologies and weapons. Marshal Sergeyev said it called for expanding defence cooperation both in traditional forms, such as training of military cadres, and some new forms. No details were disclosed, but sources said the sides would lay greater emphasis on technology transfers and a comprehensive approach to boosting India's defence capability. Russia would expand its training programmes for Indian specialists to facilitate license production of Russian military hardware in India.

Mr. Putin reportedly told Mr. Fernandes that he was ``the greatest friend of India in Russia'' and that Moscow wanted to see India ``invulnerable'' to external threats. He also offered to share the latest Russian defence technologies with India.

``As far as defence-related issues and partnership in technology sharing are concerned, Russia and India are the closest allies,'' Mr. Fernandes quoted the Russian leader as saying and stressed that ``on all issues discussed our views were identical''.

The Indian Minister said Russia reaffirmed its support for New Delhi's membership of the UN Security Council. He was particularly gratified by the Russian President's stand on Sierra Leone and Fiji. Mr. Putin directed his Foreign Minister, Mr. Igor Ivanov, to get involved and take care of India's concerns in the two regions, Mr. Fernandes said.

India in turn backed Russia's stand against the United States' plans to deploy a national missile defence and withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. ``The current balance in strategic weapons and mutual security should not be disturbed,'' Mr. Fernandes said. T-90 deal to be finalised this week

UNI, AFP report:

Mr. Fernandes also said that the $ 400 million deal with Russia for supply of 100 T-90 main battle tanks and procuring the license for producing another 200 MBTs would be finalised this week.Russia will complete delivery of the entire contract for SU- 30 fighter jets to India by 2003 as part of a $ 1.8 billion deal, the general director of the Sukhoi plane's manufacturing company said today.

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