OREANDA-NEWS. December 7, 2009. The talks focused on key areas in Russian-Indian economic cooperation: energy, transport, the metals sector, information technology, the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, and military technical cooperation.

Current international affairs were also on the agenda. Moscow and Delhi both support speedy adoption of an international convention on combating terrorism, and the creation of a new global financial security architecture.

A joint declaration on deepening the two countries’ strategic partnership in the aim of countering global challenges was adopted at the talks’ conclusion. This document assesses the importance of the Russian-Indian strategic partnership and sets out a common vision on establishing a polycentric international system for the twenty-first century.

Mr Medvedev and Mr Singh presided over the signing of intergovernmental agreements on the 2011-2020 military technical cooperation programme and post-sales service and maintenance of arms and military equipment supplied to India, and also a protocol to the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in developing and manufacturing a multipurpose transport plane. An agreement between the Russian and Indian governments on cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy was initialled, and the 2010-2012 cultural exchange programme between the two countries was approved. The talks also saw the signing of a loan agreement between Russian state corporation Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank) and the Export-Import Bank of India.

Mr Medvedev and Mr Singh made press statements and answered journalists’ questions following the talks.

The Russian-Indian summits are an annual event. The last summit took place in December 2008, when Mr Medvedev made an official visit to India. The latest summit was the third meeting between Mr Medvedev and Mr Singh this year: the two leaders met in June at the SCO and BRIC summits in Yekaterinburg, and in September at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh.