Friday, March 17 2006 18:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: President A P J Abdul Kalam today (Mar 17 2006) said the time had come for marketing of BrahMos cruise missile, jointly produced by India and Russia.

Kalam conveyed this to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov when the latter called on him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

During the 40-minute meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral issues in various fields and the President observed that the time had come for making joint efforts to market BrahMos missile, Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesman S M Khan said after the meeting.

Kalam, during his visit to Russia, had visited the NPOM facility outside Moscow in Reutovo. NPOM is the Russian partner in a joint venture with DRDO which was set up in 1999.

This was Kalam's fourth visit to NPOM which had designed the world's first nuclear cruise missile for the erstwhile Soviet Navy.

BrahMos missile's successful trials have been completed and its serial production has begun.

Kalam also emphasised on laboratory-to-laboratory contact of scientists from the two countries and suggested that 20 laboratories in each country be selected for the purpose, the spokesman said.

Appreciating the idea, the Russian Prime Minister said this would further strengthen the hi-tech operation between the two countries.

The two leaders also discussed the ongoing Sakhalin-1 oil project in Russia's east coast. ONGC is also assisting in the project.