Russia, India to sign S-400 missile deal this week: Kremlin

MOSCOW: Moscow and Delhi will sign a deal worth more than $5 billion on the delivery of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missiles when President Vladimir Putin visits India later this week, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Tuesday.

Russia and India also plan signing more than 20 documents at the end of the talks the Putin is going to have with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit to New Delhi on October 4-5, Ushakov told reporters.

“Apart from a conversation tete-a-tete, the sides will have talks with restricted attendance, then the talks in an extended format, and then a working breakfast as a continuation of the latter talks where ministers and leading businessmen will be present,” Ushakov said.

“Next on the itinerary is the signing of bilateral documents, and there are many of them in the portfolio,” he said.

“We have 23 document at this moment and some of them are still in the phase of coordination.”

He added that an informal meeting would take place on October 4, in the course of which the sides would exchange opinions on international and bilateral issues.

President Putin and Prime Minister Modi were expected to sign a joint statement on October 5, Ushakov said.

Putin will discuss military cooperation with India when he visits the country this week, the Kremlin said on Monday, without specifying whether the possible sale of S-400 surface-to-air missiles was on the agenda.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked whether Putin would discuss a possible S-400 deal, confirmed that military cooperation was on the agenda but said he could provide no further detail.

Russia said in April it expected to sign a deal with India this year on the sale of the S-400.