NEW DELHI, October 17 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian defense minister said Monday that Russia, NATO, and India would conduct joint anti-terrorism exercises in Russia in 2006.
"The Indian armed forces have agreed to hold anti-terrorism exercises, involving commandos from several NATO countries, Russia, and India," Sergei Ivanov said in New Delhi at the conclusion of his visit to India. Ivanov said the United States, Britain, and France had been invited to participate in the exercises. Ivanov dismissed accusations, in particular by British newspaper The Sunday Telegraph, that Russia shared nuclear technology with Iran as "nonsense." He said some circles in the West had continued to criticize Russia for building the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran.
But he said Russia had always honored its international commitments, primarily to the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and was actively interested in observing non-proliferation.
After meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and military top brass, Ivanov said Russia and India were ready to join third country markets with common high-tech products.
He cited the Bramos missiles as a pilot cooperation project. The defense minister also said he had negotiated supplies of multi-functional MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters to India.
Ivanov said he did not view India-U.S. training as a threat to Russia. "I don't think it is a threat under the conditions of globalization," he said.
The minister said he was leaving India earlier than scheduled because the runway of an airfield on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, where the Russian delegation was supposed to land, had been flooded.
He said his departure would not affect the second phase of the Indra-2005 exercises.
