New Delhi, December 21
India and Russia today demonstrated to the world why their relationship was so special. While they could not formally ink the agreement for setting up additional nuclear power units at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu, the two countries signed a record 29 deals, including one on joint designing and development of the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) and another for jointly undertaking projects in the oil and gas sector in India, Russia or a third country.

Close on the heels of visits by other top world leaders, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev came calling on New Delhi, making all the right noises to deepen the strategic partnership between the two time-tested friends.

In a joint statement issued after wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Russian leader, the two countries asked Pakistan to expeditiously bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice and dismantle the terrorist infrastructure on its soil.

The Russian President endorsed India’s candidature for a permanent UN Security Council seat and also promised to support New Delhi’s quest to become a full-fledged member of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG), MTCR and the Wassenaar Arrangement.

Apart from 11 pacts, which were signed after the talks between the two sides, 18 agreements, including those between private companies of both the countries, were inked on the margins of the Manmohan-Medvedev summit. The two countries also set an ambitious bilateral trade target of $ 20 billion by 2015.

The most significant of the accords signed this afternoon was the one on FGFA, estimated to be worth about $ 30 billion, with India planning to induct up to 300 of these aircraft into its Air Force. The contract envisages joint development of preliminary design contract (PDC) for the advanced fighter jet and will involve Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) from India and the Sukhoi Design Bureau and Rosoboronexport on the Russian side. Russia has been seeking to fend off growing international competition from the US and Europe to retain its edge in the lucrative Indian defence market as this country diversifies its resources of military hardware.

In the civil nuclear cooperation field, the two sides reviewed the progress made for commission of Kudankulam I and II units and for setting up two more units there. “Discussions have progressed on the construction of additional Russian nuclear reactors at Kudankulam, and we have signed an agreement to broaden scientific and technical cooperation in the field of nuclear energy,” the joint statement said. The two sides are learnt to have reached a broad agreement on additional nuclear power units at Kudankulam but have not been able to complete price negotiations. Unlike Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao who last week shied away from saying a word against Pakistan on the issue of terrorism during his visit to New Delhi, the Russian leader made statements which played well with his hosts.

“Terrorists are criminals.... They should be extradited to be punished. Those who hide terrorists conceal criminals,” Medvedev said when asked how Russia looked at safe havens of terror operations in the region. His remarks are being read here as an endorsement of New Delhi’s demand that Pakistan hand over to India the masterminds behind the 26/11 attacks.

“We understand that the extradition process is quite complicated but it is important that international cooperation in this field should be in place between all those interested in the fight against terrorism,” Medvedev said.

“I believe that no modern civilised state can hide terrorists as law-abiding citizens and cannot proceed on the assumption that they will change,” he said.