Russia, India to discuss military-technical cooperation during Defence Ministers' meet: Kremlin aide

Moscow [Russia], December 5 : Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov has said that Russia and India will hold a meeting of the inter-governmental commission on military-technical cooperation and negotiations between the foreign and defence ministers of the two countries in the 2+2 format on December 6, reported TASS news agency.
"The intergovernmental commission on military-technical cooperation will convene for its session on December 6. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu is the commission's co-chairman on Russia's behalf. Military-technical cooperation is still a major issue in the context of bilateral relations," TASS quoted Ushakov as saying on Friday.
The Kremlin aide also emphasised that a very substantive contact between the foreign and defence ministers of India and Russia will take place in the inaugural 2+2 format in the first half of December 6.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu will hold talks with their Indian counterparts Dr S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh.
Stressing that the two sides are also focused on energy cooperation, Ushakov said that Russia and India are exploring the possibilities of the joint development of hydrocarbons on the Arctic shelf and Russia's Far East.
The aide stated that exports of Russian hydrocarbons to India are expanding, with the two countries' mutual interest in the implementation of joint LNG projects persisting.
"The possibilities of joint development of hydrocarbons on the Arctic shelf and in Russia's Far East are under consideration," Ushakov noted.