Russia's defense minister said Sunday his country is willing to provide India with the latest weaponry and conclude new defense agreements, a news report said. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov is on a three-day visit to India to observe joint Indian-Russian army and naval maneuvers. Ivanov said he hoped the two countries would sign an agreement on military intellectual property rights by the end of the year, which would pave the way for the future transfer of military technology, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. The two countries plan to collaborate on advanced fighter aircraft, warships and submarines, PTI quoted Ivanov as saying. Ivanov joined his Indian counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee in watching a joint exercise in the western Indian city of Bikaner later Sunday. The pair had a lucky escape when a heavy mortar dropped by a transport plane landed just meters (yards) from their observation platform, the Itar-Tass news agency reported. The army maneuvers are scheduled to be followed by joint naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday. Russian navy chief Adm. Vladimir Masorin also is to attend the naval drills, expected to include air defense at sea and anti-submarine warfare. About 300 soldiers from the two countries are participating in the 10-day maneuvers, which began Oct. 10 at an army base near the northern Indian city of Agra.
