Moscow: Russia today (March 9, 2004) formally handed over the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov to the Indian Navy for the subsequent refit at a naval dockyard in North Russia.

At a ceremony in the White Sea port city of Severodvinsk, Russian Deputy Defence Minister Colonel-General A M Moskovsky formally handed over the 44000-tonne ship to Indian Ambassador Krishnan Raghunath, who received it on behalf of India.

"The handing over of the ship is an outstanding symbol of the Indo-Russian Defence co-operation, as well as of close and long-established friendship between the two countries, which has in recent years been consolidated into strategic partnership," an Indian Embassy release said.