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Military Co-operation Accord signed
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RUSSIA and India on Wednesday signed an accord on joint design and manufacture of a multi-purpose Ilyushin Il-214 military transport aircraft after a session of an interstate commission on military co-operation.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov, who heads the military-industrial sector in the government, told a press conference this plane “will be an early 21st century plane” and one of the most advanced jets in the world.
According to him, India also agreed to a joint project for a fifth-generation combat plane, which is expected to be ready by 2007-2008.
Besides, the two sides are ready to sign an accord within this year on Russia's sale to India of the aircraft-carrier Admiral Gorshkov, and India also showed interest in a Russian-proposed airdefence system, said the vice premier.
“There have been no such large-scale joint projects with anyone for Russia or India,” he added.
During the three-day session, Klebanov said, the sides reviewed progress of existing military agreements and outlined co-operation prospects and special attention was paid to the implementation of a contract on the sale of Su-30MKI planes to India.
The commission also signed a protocol on Russian-Indian co-operation in building advanced-technology submarines, he added.
Visiting Indian Foreign and Defence Minister Jaswant Singh said the commission had made a perceptible headway within the framework of strategic partnership and friendly relations between the two countries.
He said the most important thing was to implement those agreements as soon as possible. (SD-Agencies)
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