Monday, October 17 2005 14:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Offering to sell India its top of the shelf armament technology, Russia today (Oct 17, 2005) offered New Delhi partnership in development of futuristic weapon systems through joint investments.

Giving the suggestion during his 40-minute meeting with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee, visiting Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said Moscow was keen to take the Indo-Russian defence cooperation beyond buyer-seller relationship to forming strategic ties.

Asserting that the two countries' defence cooperation had reached an advanced stage of mutual trust, Ivanov, who arrived here Saturday on a three-day visit, said Moscow was ready to cooperate with India on co-production of weapon systems and platforms like the fifth generation fighter aircraft, advanced warships and submarines.

He hoped that the pending pact on protection of military IPR between the two countries to safeguard technological know-how would be reached by year-end.

Ivanov's visit assumes significance with Russia's recent offer of seeking joint production and investment sharing in the development of a fifth generation fighter, a medium class passenger-cum-cargo aircraft and negotiations for opening of Amur class submarine assembly line in India.

Russia is currently India's largest weapons supplier with export of Russian military equipment forming 40 per cent of Russian military sales worldwide.