MOSCOW, December 5 (RIA Novosti) - The joint production of military hardware for sales to third countries and an intellectual property agreement will be high on the agenda when the Russian defense minister meets with the Indian premier Monday, the Defense Ministry said Monday.
Sergei Ivanov, who is also a Russian deputy prime minister, is expected to sign an agreement on intellectual property rights with Manmohan Singh, who arrived in Moscow for a three-day visit on Sunday.
Indian Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee said ahead of the premier's visit that the text of the agreement had already been agreed and it could give an additional impulse to bilateral military and technological cooperation.
Ivanov and Singh will also discuss the situation in Central Asia and in Asia-Pacific, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The ministry said Ivanov would raise the situation in Afghanistan, focusing on terrorism and drug trafficking, and Iraq in the context of non-proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction.
The sides will also highlight naval and air force cooperation, according to the ministry.
Bilateral military and technological interaction is estimated to be worth $33 billion, or about 70% of India's weapons imports. Russia is currently working on contracts with India worth $10-billion, Ivanov said earlier.
Notable deals in recent years include a contract for the modernization and sale of the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, and deals on Sukhoi fighters and T-90 main battle tanks.
