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Ceremonial
reception to Russian President Medvedev
New
Delhi: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was accorded
a ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati
Bhavan here on Friday. Medvedev was welcomed by his Indian
counterpart Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan
Singh. Medvedev, who arrived here on a three-day visit
on Thursday, is to hold wide-ranging talks with Manmohan
Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Apart from cooperation in areas like defence, security
and arms trade, the two sides will explore new areas of
technology exchange and joint ventures as indicated by
the Russian side, besides further expanding the trade
and economic ties. But the hallmark of Medvedev's maiden
visit will be the new beginning in the areas of nuclear
cooperation, after India got the mandatory NSG waiver
and a safeguards agreement with the IAEA. The two countries
are expected to sign (signed later) eight agreements including
a Civil Nuclear Pact under which Russia will build four
additional atomic reactors in India's southern Tamil Nadu.
On Thursday, President Medvedev said Russia might lease
out nuclear-powered submarines to India as part of deepening
defence ties.
The
two countries were also expected to share views on combating
terrorism with Medvedev already having offered full-fledged
cooperation to India in this regard in the wake of deadly
Mumbai terror attacks. Russia and India have seen a growth
in bilateral trade this year, which increased in the first
nine months of 2008 by 41.6 per cent to 3.8 billion dollars
year-on-year. The last Russian-Indian summit was held
in November 2007, when Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh
visited Russia.
-Dec
5, 2008
