Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed the instrument of ratification of the Indo-Russian treaty on legal assistance in civil and commercial matters for its entry into force.

Earlier, both the Houses of the Russian Federal Assembly (Parliament) had overwhelmingly approved the treaty signed in October 2000 during Putin's India visit, a Kremlin statement said on December 10.

The treaty provides for effective judicial protection of civil and commercial rights of the individual citizens and bonafide business entities of India and Russia on each other's territory and consolidates the legal foundation of the Indo-Russian economic partnership widely discussed during Putin's India visit in December 2002.

The treaty lays down procedures for delivering court summons and provides for the recognition and execution of court rulings and orders in other signatory's territory.

PTI