20 docs prepared for Medvedev visit to Delhi - Prikhodko.

MOSCOW, December 20 (Itar-Tass) - Russia and India plan to sign more
than 10 agreements on cooperation during RF President Dmitry Medvedev's
official visit to New Delhi, and about 10 more documents - in the course
of the preparation for it, Russian presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko told
Itar-Tass.
He named in the first place the prepared for signing Checklist of
priorities for the further advancement of Russian-Indian strategic
partnership up to 2020, specifying that Russia signs such documents with
its leading partners.
"By strengthening bilateral economic and trade cooperation, we place
emphasis on its innovative component," Prikhodko stressed. He cited as an
example the activities of the JSFC Sistema that has managed to gain a
foothold on the high-technology telecommunications services market in
India. "The unique in its scope and versatility Integrated Programme of
long-term scientific and technical cooperation between Russia and India
for 2000-2010, is of key importance for our interaction with India in this
sphere. In connection with its expiry, we have agreed to sign a new
programme for a period up to 2020," the Russian presidential aide said.
According to him, it is also planned to sign during the visit an
intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the sphere of prevention and
liquidation of emergencies, agreement on simplification of mutual trips of
certain categories of citizens the two countries, to sign memorandums of
understanding on the procedure for reception and transfer of illegal
migrants and on cooperation in elections between the Russian Central
Election Commission (CEC) and the Election Commission of India.
The sides have also prepared a Memorandum of Understanding for
cooperation in the fields of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, a
Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in information technology,
Memorandum of Understanding on scientific and technical cooperation in the
peaceful uses of atomic energy, framework intergovernmental agreement on
cooperation in the oil and natural gas sector, Memorandum of Understanding
between the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural
Gas of India, Protocol between the NPO Mashinostroyeniya and BrahMos
Aerospace JV on the implementation of signed contracts.
"About 10 more various documents relating to the activities of Russian
companies - Vnesheconombank, Sibur, Severstal and the pharmaceutical
companies - are at the preparation stage. The work on these documents
continues," the Kremlin official said.
Prikhodko noted that "the task of strengthening direct links between
the business communities fulfils the Russian-Indian Forum on Trade and
Investments created in 2006 and the Russian-Indian Enterprise Management
Council established in 2008." New Delhi will host on Monday the IV
Russian-Indian Forum on Trade and Investments - an annual event aimed at
discussing prospects for the implementation of new joint projects.
Energy sector is an important sphere in Indian-Russian bilateral
relations. In 2001, ONGC-Videsh Limited acquired 20 percent stake in the
Sakhalin-I oil and gas project in the Russian Federation, and has invested
about 1.7 billion US dollars in the project. The Russian company Gazprom
and Gas Authority of India Ltd. have collaborated in joint development of
a block in the Bay of Bengal. Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project with two
units of 1000 MW each is a good example of Indo-Russian nuclear energy
cooperation. Both sides have expressed interest in expanding cooperation
in the energy sector. In December 2008, Russia and India signed an
agreement to build civilian nuclear reactors in India during a visit by
the Russian president to New Delhi.
Space is another key sector of cooperation between the two countries.
During President Vladimir Putin's visit to India in December 2004, two
space-related bilateral agreements were signed viz. Inter-Governmental
umbrella Agreement on cooperation in the outer space for peaceful purposes
and the Inter Space Agency Agreement on cooperation in the Russian
satellite navigation system GLONASS. Subsequently a number of follow-up
agreements on GLONASS have been signed. In November 2007, the two
countries have signed an agreement on joint lunar exploration. These space
cooperation programmes are under implementation.
The ongoing cooperation in the field of science & technology, under
the Integrated Long-Term Programme of cooperation (ILTP) is the largest
cooperation programme in this sphere for both India and Russia. ILTP is
coordinated by the Department of Science and Technology from the Indian
side and by the Russian Academy of Sciences and Russian Ministry of
Industry & Science and Technology from the Russian side. Development of
SARAS Duet aircraft, semiconductor products, super computers,
poly-vaccines, laser science and technology, seismology, high-purity
materials, software & IT and Ayurveda have been some of the priority areas
of co-operation under the ILTP. Under this programme, eight joint
Indian-Russian centres have been established to focus on joint research
and development work.
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