Russia conceded on Tuesday that the 11people arrested for suspected espionage were its nationals, but said they had not committed actions against US interests, even as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin expressed confidence that the scandal will not affect bilateral relations.
India and Russia need stronger trade and economic ties, CII President Hari S Bhartia has said.
India Inc is ready to invest in Russia's pharmaceutical sector and the two governments are working on a joint document to this effect, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has said.
Seeking greater cooperation with India, Russia's Tomsk city in Siberia on Friday invited Indian hi-tech companies to establish innovative ventures in the region.
Russia has overcome recession but this does not mean that economic crisis in the country is over, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
Russia on Friday claimed a major breakthrough in the twin suicide attacks at Moscow metro stations, in which 40 people were killed, saying it has arrested the main plotters of the terror bombings. "We have made arrests. Very serious work is underway," a law enforcement source was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti. However, no other details were disclosed.
Usenov signed his cabinet's resignation and handed over the powers to the leader of parliamentary opposition, ex-Foreign Minister Roza Otunbayeva, Interfax news agency reported from capital Bishkek.
Russia's top anti-terror agency on Tuesday confirmed Maryam Sharipova, a 28-year old IT teacher from a Caucasus village as one of the two suicide bombers, who blew herself up at Moscow's metro Lubyanka station last week.
Two suicide bombers, including one in police uniform, set off powerful blasts on Wednesday in Russia's volatile North Caucasus region of Dagestan, killing at least 12 people and injuring 27, just a couple of days after the terror attacks on Moscow metro claimed 39 lives.
India would be represented by agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, who arrived in Moscow on Wednesday night on a three-day visit.
Russia and the United States have made major 'progress' on a new deal to slash the nuclear arsenals during the cold war, replacing Soviet-era START-1 treaty that ended December last, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday.
Besides the deals worth $4 billion, including the final delivery agreement for Admiral Gorshkov, the two sides will also sign the final agreement for joint manufacture of fifth generation fighters, local media reported.
India and Russia are expected to sign the first of a series of agreements for the development of fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) to meet futuristic requirements of the Indian Air Force during Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to New Delhi later this week.
"The Russian and US presidents will direct their respective delegations to speed up talks on a new arms control agreement," a Kremlin release issued late on Wednesday said after telephonic conversation of the leaders of world's largest nuclear stockpiles holders.
Lowering the threshhold for the use of nuclear weapons, Russia said on Friday that it reserves the right to hit back with nukes in case of an aggression, in a new doctrine which may be a veiled warning to China besides containing rising NATO powers at its borders.
"If we are not developing AMD, then there's a threat that when our partners create an umbrella over themselves to protect them against our offensive systems, they might feel completely safe. And that might mean that our partners will feel they can do anything they want -- the level of aggression in politics and economics will rise right away. The balance will be lost," Putin explained.
While Bangalore based state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will fork out $300 million, Russia's United Aircraft Cooperation (UAC) will invest a similar amount for the joint venture, which will start rolling out the aircraft by 2017.
The pipeline will enable Moscow to enter markets in Asia- Pacific region and reduce dependency on European customers.
India will receive its first new generation Nerpa Akula-II class nuclear attack submarine by March next year on a ten-year lease with the vessel being inducted into the Russian navy prior to its transfer.The submarine will be subsequently leased to the Indian Navy under the name INS Chakra in March for $650 million for a 10-year lease.The 12,000-ton K-152 Nerpa, an Akula II class nuclear-powered attack submarine, belongs to the class of the quietest and deadliest submarines.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit India in March next year at the invitation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh."I am very grateful to you for accepting my invitation in March next year. I am confident that your visit will give a new fillip to our ties," Dr Singh said a meeting with Putin in Moscow on Monday.