India, Russia ministerial dialogue now on October 10

The India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) between Defence Minister A K Antony and his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov is being held to take stock of the defence relations.

"The meeting of the India-Russia Inter-governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation which was to be held tomorrow has been deferred due to the inability of the Russian Co-Chair of the Commission and Defence Minister Serdyukov to travel to India as scheduled," a Defence Ministry release said here today.

The meeting will now be held on October 10 here, it said.

The Russian side has conveyed to India that its Defence Minister was required to stay back home for his "urgent participation" in a programme of the President, the statement said.

Ministry officials said the Russian Defence Minister was asked to stay back for an important amphibious exercise being conducted there.

At the meeting, India is expected to raise the issue of delay in delivery of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov.

Ministry officials said there is a clause in the contract under which India can impose penalties for slippages in delivery schedules but no final decision has yet been taken on that aspect.(MORE)