Russia keen for closer cooperation with Modi government: Rogozin

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said he had held "very vigorous and fruitful talks" in the Indian capital Wednesday, including with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, and would be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday.

Speaking at the investiture ceremony to honour BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi and Professor Lokesh Chandra, the Russian minister said the Russian side "hopes for closer cooperation with India's new government".

"Based on decades of successful experience, together we will have to make all efforts to give a powerful, generating and innovative impetus to our partnership, to fill it up with new content and raise the Russian-Indian cooperation to new heights.

"I am convinced that in the implementation of these plans we can rely on support, participation and wisdom of our true friends - like Professor Joshi and Professor Chandra," said Rozogin, presenting the Order of Friendship to Joshi and the Pushkin Medal to Chandra.

He said Joshi had been for decades "enjoying high esteem and incontestable authority as a champion of deeper Russian-Indian ties", while Chandra, as head of the International Academy of Indian Culture, has made "great contribution to the exploration and popularisation abroad of spiritual and cultural values of ancient India" and authored more than 360 joint Russian-Indian academic papers and publications.