Krishna to arrive in Moscow today, to attend IRIGC session

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will arrive here today on a two-day visit during which he will co-chair a session of Indo-Russian Intergovernmental Commission (IRIGC) to discuss ways to further consolidate the bilateral strategic partnership.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will arrive here today on a two-day visit during which he will co-chair a session of Indo-Russian Intergovernmental Commission (IRIGC) to discuss ways to further consolidate the bilateral strategic partnership.

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Krishna and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Sobyanin will chair the 15th session of IRIGC meet tomorrow
which will review the progress made by the two countries in bilateral cooperation in trade, economic, cultural, scientific
and technical spheres.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin recently appointed his trusted ally Sobyanin as the new co-chairman of IRIGC, sending
a strong signal to New Delhi about willingness to revamp the economic ties with India, which have so far remained the
weakest link in bilateral strategic partnership.

The session will also look at the status of Russia' s commitment to the full implementation of the joint declaration
on strengthening and enhancing economic, scientific and technological cooperation signed during the then President
Putin's visit to India in 2000.

On the eve of Krishna's visit, Indian Ambassador Prabhat Shukla said the Indo-Russian bilateral trade has
registered a 15 per cent growth and the two nations are confidently moving towards achieving the target of $10
billion by 2010.

At present the bilateral trade stands at $7 billion.