New Delhi: India and Russia plan to soon hold strategic level talks ahead of President Vladimir Putin's visit to this country by end of the year.

The official-level Inter-Agency Consultations will focus on issues of strategic importance and non-proliferation, Russian Embassy Counsellor Denis Alipov told reporters today (Jul 26, 2004).

Noting that dates for the meeting were yet to be finalised, he said it was aimed at reactivating the bilateral relations between the two countries.

In the coming weeks and months, such exchanges are going to increase, Alipov said. Asserting that the change of Governments did not affect the bilateral relations, he said Putin will be visiting India by the end of this year as per an understanding for annual Summits between the two countries.

The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited Moscow late last year.

To a question, he said that the Defence cooperation between the two countries was on track and delivery of spare parts was being undertaken as required.