India and Russia underlined their determination to deepen their "time tested" relationship on Monday, as they inked a path-breaking civil nuclear agreement that will ensure transfer of technology and uninterrupted uranium fuel supplies to its nuclear reactors and signed three pacts in the defence sector.
"It is a time tested and enduring friendship, which is mutually beneficial and which has emerged as a factor of peace and stability in the region and the world," said the joint declaration released after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the Kremlin in Moscow.
The joint statement said the two countries "will undertake to take steps to deepen bilateral cooperations and raise their strategic partnership to the next level".
The two nations underlined their determination to combine efforts to reform the global economic governance system based on the principles of equity and justice.
"India and Russia share the common commitment to reform the global economic governance system based on the principles of equity and justice, taking into account the need to ensure the full-fledged participation of major economics and developing countries in reforming the world's financial and economic system in line with the new economic realities," the statement said.
India and Russia stressed upon the importance of the combined role of the international community to successfully meet challenges, including the financial crisis, ensuring energy and food security and addressing the issue of climate change.
"Only collective efforts by the international community as a whole, can successfully meet challenges such as overcoming the global financial crisis, ensuring energy and food security and addressing an issue of global concern and climate change," the joint declaration said.
On the critical issue of global terrorism, the two countries stressed their resolve to combat the menace, using bilateral and multilateral mechanism.
India and Russia were convinced that "international community should enhance effort to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations" as they underlined the need for the United Nation to play a important role in combating terrorism.
"The sides called for an early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism challenges and threats, including such cooperations within the framework of the India-Russia working group on combating international terrorism."
Russia expressed solidarity with the people of India in connection with terrorist attacks in Mumbai last year.
"Russia expressed solidarity and support to the government and people of India in connection with terrorist attacks in Mumbai from November 26 to 29, 2008 and both sides underscored the need to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice," the declaration underlined.
They stressed that the fight against terrorism "cannot be selective and drawing false distinctions between 'good and bad Taliban'". Such an effort "would be counter- productive", it said.
On the economic front, they agreed "to enhance bilateral cooperation in the energy sector including joint projects by Indian and Russian hydrocaron companies".
They also resolved to move together on the issue of the reform of the United Nations and its Security Council so as to make the world body more representative and effective in dealing with both present-day challenges.
"The sides agree to further strengthen their cooperation on issues related to the reform of the United Nations and its Security Council," they stressed.
"The reform of the UN Security Council should be carried out in a manner that reflects contemporary realities and makes it more representative and effective in dealing with both present-day and emerging challenges. Russia considers India a deserving and strong candidate for a permanent seat in the expanded UN Security Council," the joint declaration said.
India also signed a path-breaking civil nuclear agreement with Russia that will guarantee uninterrupted uranium fuel supplies for its atomic reactors and transfer of technology and also inked three military pacts.
The agreements were signed after talks between Prime Minister Singh and Russian President Medvedev at the Kremlin here, during which the two leaders spoke of the need for "pinpointed" strategies to deal with terrorism emanating from Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The defence agreements aimed at moving away from buyer-seller relationship provides for joint development of weapons systems and platforms over a 10-year period up to 2020 and vital after sales support for Russian equipment supplied to India to end ad hocism in this critical area.
The civil nuclear cooperation is seen as going much forward for the benefit of India than the historic 123 atomic agreement with the US, which does not guarantee fuel supplies without any break.
Image: Russian Prime Minister Putin shakes hands with his Indian counterpart Singh as they meet in Moscow | Photograph: Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters
