Monday, May 9 2005 07:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Moscow: Seeking to further upgrade Indo-Russian strategic ties with focus on Defence and energy security, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will hold talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today (May 9, 2005) after attending the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the victory of the allied forces over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

Singh, who arrived in Moscow yesterday (May 8, 2005) on a three-day visit, has a "very substantive agenda" during his meeting with Putin, Indian Ambassador to Russia Kanwal Sibal told reporters.

It will provide an opportunity to review the progress on the decision taken at the last summit held in New Delhi in December in key areas like Defence, which remains a critical element of Indo-Russian ties, he said.

Setting the tone for his visit, Singh in a departure statement in Delhi termed Russia as a 'tried and tested friend" and said his talks with Putin would further consolidate strategic partnership between the two countries.

Joined by US President George W Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao among 55 world leaders, the Prime Minister's participation in the celebrations is seen as a tribute to sacrifices made by the Russian people in the war, which claimed the lives of 27 million Soviet citizens.

The Russian capital has been put under unprecedented security wrap. The Russian Air Force has standing orders to intercept and shoot down "stray" planes.

Security of foreign dignitaries will be provided by rooftop marksmen, 2,000 Interior Ministry's special purpose OMON police force, 1,500 cadets and 5,000 soldiers together with 24,000 local policemen.

UN reforms are expected to figure prominently in the Singh-Putin talks. Russia has supported India's claim for permanent membership of an enlarged UN Security Council (UNSC).

Indian officials accompanying Singh told reporters that New Delhi recognised that the process of UN reforms is "very complex". India is not fixated on veto issue but wants all members of the Security Council to be treated equally on the principle of non-discrimination and democratisation.

"It is not that we want to hold on to veto. We will be very happy if there is no veto at all," they said.

Sibal said the two leaders would also discuss progress on negotiations for the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) agreement.

He said this was acquiring importance since India was getting more and more access to sensitive Russian technologies and moving towards joint research and development projects and joint production and marketing of weapons systems.

Unlike in the past of leaving it to the companies concerned, Russia wants a Government-to-Government agreement for these purposes.

Moscow has dropped its earlier demand of giving retrospective effect to the proposed IPR accord. Two issues remain to resolved in the negotiations relating to modification and upgradation of Defence equipment and of spares.

On today's celebrations, Saran said it was an occasion for India to show its solidarity with a country, which has played a key role in making it an independent power.

He said the presence of the Prime Minister also reflected the "close and enduring" relationship between the two countries.

Putin will be having a 30-minute interaction with Singh who will be among the few world leaders he will be meeting on this occasion.

In the context of the Second World War, Saran said India recognised that no other country has suffered as Russia and no other country has lost as many people in the war as Russia.

A senior official said Putin was keen that the Prime Minister travel to Moscow on this special occasion and he readily responded to it, reflecting a special bond of friendship between the two leaders.

On energy security, which is one of the key elements in strategic context, Sibal said recently Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar had visited Russia and evinced India's keen interest in investing in Russian oil and natural gas resources.

India is contemplating investing a few billion Dollars in Russian oil and gas sector besides tapping its IT market, he said.