India and Russia signed eight agreements including on co-operation on India’s human space project, Gaganyaan.
The agreements were inked after an annual summit held between Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and Russian president Vladimir Putin in New Delhi on Friday (5).
The official sources informed that two powers have also inked the $5 billion S-400 air defence system agreement after the talks between the leaders of the two countries.
Meeting with the Putin has given a new direction to the strategic partnership between the two nations, Modi said in a press statement after the 19th India-Russia annual summit.
A significant pact was also signed between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Federal Space Agency of Russia, ROSCOSMOS' for joint efforts to achieve India’s dream of manned spaceflight, Gaganyaan.
The agreement was also signed in the fields of space, nuclear energy, and railways. Putin said the two countries have united to cooperate to fight against the menace of terrorism and drug trafficking.
The two sides welcomed the start of consultations on the Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and its member states, on one side, and India - on the other, and supported the idea to expedite the negotiation process.
A memorandum of co-operation (MoC) was also signed between India’s Ministry of Railways and the Joint Stock Company ‘Russian Railways’ on the sidelines of the summit.
The MoC intends to carry forward the activities taken up under the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries in 2015.
The MoC includes, the implementation of speed up gradation project of Nagpur-Secunderabad section, exchange of best technologies being practiced by the two countries, development of multi modal terminals, and others.
