The Hindu : Fernandes to visit Russia next month

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 24, 2002

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International

Fernandes to visit Russia next month

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW MARCH 23. The Defence Minister, George Fernandes, will visit Russia between April 10 and 13, the RIA Novosti said quoting Russian embassy sources in New Delhi. Mr. Fernandes' visit (from March 24 to 27) has been postponed at India's request due to a crucial meeting of the Parliament.

The postponement gives a respite for Moscow to reassign responsibilities for defence exports to India and other countries in the wake of changes in the Russian Government made last month, when Russia's pointman for relations with India, Ilya Klebanov, lost his job as Deputy Prime Minister in charge of defence production and arms trade. Even though Mr. Klebanov has been retained in the Cabinet as Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, he is widely expected to lose his co-chairmanship of the two Inter-Governmental Commissions (IGC) for economic and military cooperation with India.

Informed sources tip the Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Ivanov, to replace Mr. Klebanov in the Indo-Russian IGC for military-technical cooperation. It has already been announced that Mr. Ivanov will play host to Mr. Fernandes during his visit. Experts said India might gain from Mr. Ivanov's appointment to IGC.

``Ivanov is considered Russia's top man for global security and geo-political strategies since the time he headed the Kremlin's Security Council,'' said Alexander Vaskin of the Indo-Russian Security Forum. "Also, he is the most trusted friend of the President, Vladimir Putin, since the time both worked in St. Petersburg.''What is not clear yet is whether Mr. Ivanov's authority will be limited to defence ties with India or will cover broader issues of Russia's arms trade with other countries as well. Following Mr. Klebanov's demotion the Prime Minister, Mikhail Kasyanov, said he was assuming overall supervision of the lucrative arms trade business. However, if Mr. Ivanov, in addition to the IGC with India, also takes over from Mr. Klebanov the commission for military cooperation with China, he will practically bring all arms trade under his control, as India and China account for 80 per cent of Russia's defence exports.

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