'Russia, a privileged defence partner'

Noting that military-technical contracts worth $10 billion are on different stages of execution with Russia, India has said Moscow will remain its 'privileged' partner in defence.

"I am happy that we have such cooperation with Russia and hope that Russia will remain India's privileged partner," India's Ambassador to Russia Kanwar Sibal said on Thursday evening during an internet conference.

Addressing netizens, the Ambassador said India, which has 70 per cent Russian-origin arms in its armed forces, placed massive orders of military hardware including T-90 tanks, Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters and frigates to keep the Russian defence industry afloat after the Soviet collapse in 1991.

In an obvious reference to the recent sale of Su-30

fighters to Malaysia, Thailand and Venezuela by Russia, Sibal noted that 'arms acquisition by India gives credibility to the Russian defence hardware as it is a well known fact that India buys the best.'