Rediff On The NeT: Russia to give hi-tech training to Indian defence officers


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March 22, 1999

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Russia to give hi-tech training to Indian defence officers

India and Russia today signed an agreement on training Indian defence officers in the military educational institutions of the Russian Federation.

The agreement was signed during Russian Defence Minister Marshal Igor Dmitrievich Sergeyev's five-day official visit to India.

The marshal is in India since March 19.

Today's agreement lays down broad terms and conditions of the training programme, a defence ministry release said.

Earlier Sergeyev called on Defence Minister George Fernandes at the South Block. The two ministers discussed the defence co-operation between the two countries and explored the possibility of strengthening it.

The three service chiefs, Chief of Army Staff General V P Malik, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sushil Kumar and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A Y Tipnis, called on the visiting minister separately.

Earlier, on his arrival at the South Block, Sergeyev was received by Fernandes and accorded a ceremonial guard of honour.

India and Russia signed an agreement to extend the long-term defence co-operation between the two countries by a decade up to 2010 during Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov's visit to New Delhi late last year. The present agreement expires in 2000.

Sergeyev, who is scheduled to leave for Moscow tomorrow, is expected to call on Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh before his departure.

Today's agreement is important because Russia has already promised to supply advanced weaponry to India till 2010.

The training of Indian officers will be carried out at the Russian defence ministry's key establishments, which have very good facilities and are staffed by highly trained instructors.

The Indians will in all probability be trained to effectively operate up-to-date Russian-made military equipment.

The last major defence deal India signed with Russia was the Rs64,000 million agreement in 1996 to buy Sukhoi-30 multi-role warplanes.

UNI

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