Moscow, May 22
President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam arrived here today on a three-day State visit during which he will interact with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior leaders, giving a further boost to bilateral relations. Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin welcomed him at the Vnukovo-2 airport here. The President was given a ceremonial guard of honour.
A series of
programmes will be held in honour of Dr Kalam who will be visiting the Moscow State University, the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Sukhoi Design Bureau on the second day of the trip.
India’s ties with the Russian Federation have stood the test of time and are based on continuity and mutual understanding. Dr Kalam’s visit, according to External Affairs Ministry sources, would further cement the relations.
Apart from the bilateral meetings, the visit will focus on the scientist-turned-President’s interaction with scientists and academicians.
Dr Kalam’s visit has additional significance as Mr Putin during his interaction with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh early this month had said that he was looking forward to the President’s visit, the first ever by an Indian head of the state since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991.
India-Russia ties were further cemented during the recent visit of Dr Manmohan Singh, when Russia took a positive view of further cooperation in the civilian nuclear field, including possible supply of fuel to the Tarapur plant as the well as construction of additional reactors.
National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan, soon after the talks between Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr Putin, had said that their wide-ranging discussions were far more productive than anticipated. The President’s visit comes close on the heels of talks for more civil nuclear energy cooperation between the two countries.
Dr Kalam, who had played a key role in the successful completion of ‘’BrahMos’’, a joint Missile project between India and Russia, is likely to meet authorities and scientists involved in this much acclaimed project.
— UNI
