No Indo-Russian plan to counter NATO, says Gujral

India on Thursday denied that Russia had proposed defence alliance with it to counter the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces.

Talking to mediapersons in Moscow, visiting Indian External Affairs Minister I K Gujral said India was opposed to any type of defence bloc.

Moreover, the country had good relations with the United States and the West, Gujral said.

"Neither Russia put forward any such proposal nor the two sides held discussions over it,'' the minister said.

To a question, he denied that India had purchased Sukhoi warplanes from Russia on the condition that the latter would not supply arms to Pakistan.

Russia was India's all and would not do anything which jeopardised India's security interests, he said. Both the countries kept in mind each other's defence interests, he added.

On Russia's proposed sale of nuclear reactor to India, Gujral said the deal did not mean that the two sides had entered into nuclear cooperation. Earlier also India had purchased one reactor each from Canada and the United States.

The external affairs minister said Russia and India would soon sign the extradition treaty.

According to sources, the treaty will be signed during Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's proposed visit to Russia.