Tuesday, November 15 2005 15:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Moscow: Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee today (Nov 15, 2005) began his three-day visit to Russia, during which he will hold talks to review bilateral military cooperation and identify new areas of partnership such as joint ventures to manufacture futuristic weapon systems.

Mukherjee was warmly welcomed upon arrival at the airport by Mikhail Dmitriyev, the head of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation with Foreign Countries.

Indian Ambassador to Russia Kanwal Sibal and top Russian Defense Ministry brass were also present to receive Mukherjee in the VIP lounge of the airport.

Later today, Mukherjee is scheduled to meet his Russian host Sergei Ivanov, who was promoted to the rank of Deputy Prime Minister yesterday by President Vladimir Putin.

Mukherjee and Ivanov will co-chair the two-day session of Indo-Russian Inter- Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) to review the ongoing defense cooperation and identify the new areas of interaction including the joint designing, manufacturing and marketing of futuristic weapon systems.

Russian officials say that promotion of Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov would further boost bilateral cooperation and help in promptly resolving the vexed issue of product support and supply of spares to India, as in his new capacity he would also look after Russia's entire military-industrial complex and defense Research & Development.

The Defense Minister will also call on President Vladimir Putin tomorrow (Nov 16, 2005) to finalize the defense agenda of the Indo-Russian summit in Moscow during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Russia visit next month.