MOSCOW: President Dmitry Medvedev will try to convince India to buy Russian fighter planes and seal a nuclear deal when he travels there this week for talks aimed at boosting ties with the second-fastest growing economy the world.
Russia was one of India’s closest partners in Soviet days, but the Kremlin will have to convince New Delhi that Moscow can deliver on vast defence and nuclear orders in the face of competition from the United States, Europe and China.
Medvedev, who the Kremlin said will come with a large delegation of business leaders, is to hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Prathibha Patil on Tuesday and visit Mumbai on Wednesday.
“Russian-Indian relations have moved to a completely new level which can be called a favoured strategic partnership,” a Kremlin official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The Kremlin said trade with India will total $10 billion this year while official statistics show Russia’s trade with the European Union stood at $246 billion in the first 10 months of 2010, and trade with China was $47.5 billion in the same period. India wants to overhaul its mostly Russian-supplied air force and Moscow will lobby hard for India to select the Russian-made MiG-35 for an $11 billion contract for 126 fighter jets.
French, US and other European firms are also competing for the contracts, and US President Obama is believed to have pushed for American planes manufactured by Boeing and Lockheed Martin Corp during his trip earlier this year.
Russia, the largest energy producer in the world, may be able to take advantage of Indian growth by boosting its market share in civilian nuclear energy projects. India plans to add 63,000 megawatts of nuclear power by 2032 from a current nuclear capability of about 4,500 MW.
