MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that in the sphere of military and technical cooperation Russia and India may complement the traditional pattern of weapons supplies with joint development and production of advanced weapon systems.

“The high level of bilateral cooperation and trust allows us to start a gradual transition from the traditional producer-consumer model to joint development and production of advanced weapon systems,” Putin told India’s PTI news agency in an interview, adding that the supplies of military hardware and closer technological and industrial cooperation between the two countries would be discussed in detail in New Delhi on December 11. “We already have examples of such effective cooperation, by which I mean the production of high-precision up-to-date BrahMos missiles and creation of a multifunctional fifth-generation fighter aircraft.”

Putin pointed out that over the decades of cooperation in the military and technical sphere India earned the reputation of “a reliable and time-tested partner.” In bilateral relations, he said, “the development of military and technical cooperation is one of the main components of our strategic partnership.”.