Putin： India is one of Russia’s key partners

　　Xinhua News Agency, Vladivostok, Russia, September 4 (Reporter Leo) Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with visiting Indian Prime Minister Modi in Vladivostok, Russia on the 4th. Putin said after the talks that India is one of Russia’s key partners.

　　Putin said at a joint press conference after the talks that Russia-India relations are characterized by strategy and priority and have developed on the basis of friendship and mutual benefit. The two countries share similar positions on key global and regional issues and coordinate their positions under multilateral mechanisms including the United Nations, the G20, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS countries. Russia and India are committed to jointly safeguarding regional security and stability in Asia, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

　　Putin said that Russia believes that the establishment of a free trade zone between India and the Eurasian Economic Union will increase opportunities for trade diversification, which is the common goal of both sides. The two countries will start the first round of negotiations on formulating relevant agreements in the near future.

　　Putin said that Russia and India are closely cooperating in the field of military technology, and the two countries are successfully implementing the military cooperation plan before 2020, and carrying out joint projects to produce Kalashnikov light weapons, Ka -226T helicopters and missile systems in India.

　　Modi said at the press conference that in order to maintain peace and stability, India and Russia need a multipolar world, and relevant cooperation between the two sides is necessary to achieve this goal. India and Russia need to promote cooperation in BRICS countries, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other organizations.

　　Modi said that the joint venture between the two countries to produce Kalashnikov rifles is conducive to broadening bilateral cooperation in the field of national defense.

　　According to another report, Shugayev, director of the Russian Federation’s Military Technical Cooperation Bureau, said on the 4th that Russian-Indian military technical cooperation is an important part of the strategic cooperation between the two countries. Since last year, India has ordered weapons and military equipment worth 14.5 billion US dollars from Russia, including S-400 air defense missile system and 11356 frigates.

　　Putin and Modi will attend the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on the 5th. (Participating in reporter: Zhang Wei)