NEW DELHI, January 27. /TASS/. The agreement reached between India and the European Union on developing cooperation in defense and security does not affect Russian-Indian relations in this area, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said at a briefing summarizing the visit to the country by the leaders of the European Council and the European Parliament.
Asked whether the agreement with the EU meant that India intended to scale back defense cooperation with Russia, Misri said that "these are two separate tracks that develop independently of each other," and recalled that Russian-Indian security relations have a long historical background.
Commenting on the arrangements with the EU, Misri noted that "the agreement is mutually beneficial and serves the interests of both sides." "Both parties see clear advantages in concluding this agreement, which is why it was signed today," he said.
The India-EU security and defense partnership agreement was signed during the India-EU summit in New Delhi. According to its final statement, the implementation of the agreement will help deepen cooperation "in areas such as maritime security, defense industry and technology, cyber and hybrid threats, space, and counter-terrorism among others." The parties also "welcomed the launch of negotiations on a Security of Information Agreement that will facilitate the exchange of classified information and pave the way for closer security and defense cooperation," the statement said.