New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Sunday night for the 13th annual Indo-Russian bilateral summit which is to begin on Monday. During the meet the two countries are expected to ink a host of important bilateral agreements.
Putin and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will discuss and take specific steps in order to further develop the Indo-Russian strategic partnership in trade, economic, energy, and cultural and humanitarian spheres. India and Russia have decided to achieve a target of $20 billion in bilateral trade by 2015.
The Russian president is to call on President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday afternoon. Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj are to call on Putin at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Putin will leave for home at 4.30 pm. Putin, who entered the Kremlin as president in May, last visited India as prime minister in 2010.
Ahead of the visit, the Kremlin said Putin will discuss "concrete steps to further develop strategic partnership" in trade, investment, military and energy policy.
Defence deals worth $7 billion could prove to be the show-stealer. The highlight will be a contract, worth around $4 billion, to buy additional Sukhoi 30 MKI fighters equipped with the Brahmos cruise missiles, an Indo-Russian joint venture.
India has already signed a pact for delivery of 80 Mi-17 V5 helicopters, of which 42 have already been inducted since February this year. Russia accounts for over 60 per cent of India's military hardware.
With additional information from IANS
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