Moscow, New Delhi to continue consultations on India-EEU free trade agreement
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Thursday’s talks in New Delhi with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been “substantive and constructive,” TASS reported.
During Putin’s one-day visit, Russia and India signed a package of 25 joint documents on developing bilateral cooperation, including in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Putin said ties with India are a foreign policy priority for Moscow. The countries are expected to strengthen political dialogue and develop humanitarian contacts and economic cooperation.
The Russian leader stressed that the trade turnover between Russia and India in 2013, which totaled $10 billion, is “not enough at all.” Therefore, the parties discussed the ways of diversifying trade and boosting investments.
Russia and India plan to expand payments in national currencies, Putin said. “We agreed to use national currencies more actively in the payments,” the Russian president said.
Moscow and New Delhi have also agreed to continue consultations on the free trade agreement of India and the Eurasian Economic Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan which will come into effect on January 1, 2015.