'Russia, a reliable partner to India'

At the end of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's two-day visit to Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is a “reliable partner to India”. Russia is competing with the United States for influence in India, a cold war ally of Moscow, which the Kremlin sees as a growing partner in Asia. Putin brushed aside any talk of a chill in relations, saying he hoped Singh would feel the warmth of Russia's welcome.