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Russia, India set to expand military cooperation

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Dec 4, Itar-Tass/ACSNA/IRNA -- Russia and India intend to 
expand cooperation in military hardware predominantly in the aircraft 
and arms systems of the fifth generation. 
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told reporters on Saturday 
that a protocol of the inter-governmental commission for military and 
technological cooperation was signed after the talks, which he and 
Russian President Vladimir Putin had held in New Delhi. 
Ivanov said that the document fixed the sides intention to end 
negotiations on signing an agreement on the protection of intellectual
property rights in the next four months. 
Besides, the sides agreed to start talks on creating service 
centers for Russian military hardware. 
The minister stressed that the sides had also discussed prospects 
for bilateral cooperation. "A total of more than 350 projects worth 
dlrs 3.5 billion have been handed over to the Indian side. We are 
discussing these subjects," Ivanov went on to say. 
Ivanov noted that the Russian side hadn`t planned to sign any new 
contracts during the current visit. He recalled that the two countries
had signed three billion dollars worth of contracts in 2004. 
The Russian defense minister stressed that the talks also dwelt on
the possibility of servicing the equipment that had earlier been 
supplied to India. "Russia has supplied more than 10 diesel submarines
to India. They`ve been in service with the Indian Navy and need to be 
serviced and modernized. That`s what we are doing now," Ivanov 
explained. 
The Russian defense minister emphasized that relations with India 
`covered not only cooperation in hardware but also joint efforts in 
the military sphere, including settlement in the seats of tension such
as Afghanistan, the Middle East and Iraq`. 
"An agreement was reached to hold an exercise of air defense 
forces in India in 2005," Sergei Ivanov stressed. 
"We have big plans for the future and have discussed all of them 
during the vi sits," Sergei Ivanov said in conclusion. 
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