Inking of defence pacts on agenda during Putin's visit

Days before Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit here, the country's ambassador to India, Alexander Kadakin, today hinted that pacts to boost defence cooperation between the two countries would be signed during the trip.
"There has never been a Summit without any defence agreement. These will be important agreements in the field of our military exchanges," he said when asked whether there will be agreements on defence cooperation during Putin's visit.
Putin will be here for the annual Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 11.
"There was some kind of a lull in our bilateral exchanges, but now our relations have entered the stage of strategic and privileged partnership," the Russian envoy said on the sidelines of a book release event here.

Responding to Modi's 'Make in India' pitch, Kadakin said that Russia has been doing so for "many many decades now".
"Our joint efforts will correspond completely with the 'Make in India' appeal that (Modi) has made. But that has been our way for long. We produced Sukhois and other military equipment, including BRAHMOS (missile). Russia has been following this directive for many, many decades now," he said.
The book, 'Indian Poem', was released in the presence of Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) President Lokesh Chandra and eminent art scholar Kapila Vatsyayan.
It contains a collection of paintings by eminent 19th century Russian artist, Vasily Vereshchagin.