Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's remarks at the Joint Press Interaction with the President of Russia

We are honoured to have President Medvedev and his delegation in our midst today. This is a particularly historic occasion as it is President Medvedev's first visit to India.

The President and I have held detailed talks covering all areas of our relationship such as civil nuclear cooperation, hydrocarbons, trade and economy, defence, space, science and technology, culture and terrorism.

Our strategic partnership with Russia is a vital anchor of our foreign policy. It is a relationship that has withstood the test of time. It is a relationship that is based on strong mutual trust, confidence and convergence of interests.

We are grateful for the consistent support that the leadership and people of Russia have extended to India in diverse areas.

A large number of agreements have been signed today. The signing of the agreement on civil nuclear cooperation with Russia marks a new milestone in the history of our cooperation with Russia in the field of nuclear energy.

We have taken yet another step forward in the area of space cooperation and have agreed to initiate joint activities in our human spaceflight programme.

We have given directions to our officials to expedite all measures that are required to achieve our bilateral trade target of 10 billion US dollars by 2010. This includes the activation of existing and new mechanisms such as Inter-Governmental Commission, the Joint Task Force, the India-Russia Trade and Investment Forum, and the India- Russia CEOs Council.

We discussed the possibilities of greater cooperation between Indian and Russian companies in both upstream and downstream sectors in the hydrocarbon sector. Our dialogue in this area has intensified considerably.

We have agreed to further strengthen our defence cooperation by increasingly focussing on joint production and research and development.

I conveyed to President Medvedev the sense of anger and outrage in India over the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. We deeply appreciate Russia's expression of solidarity with India at this moment. We both agreed that these attacks represent a threat to all open and pluralistic societies, and require a major intensification of efforts against supporters and perpetrators of terrorism anywhere in the world.

Our discussions on regional and international issues were marked by strong convergence of views. There is much that India and Russia can do to enhance global peace, stability and prosperity, and bring about an international order that reflects contemporary realities.

The "Year of Russia" in India which will conclude today has been a celebration of our relations. I thank President Medvedev for joining us on this occasion.

The people of India have great goodwill for Russia. We are confident that under President Medvedev's dynamic leadership, Russia's leading role in global affairs will be strengthened.

Thank you.