India highly estimates the technological opportunities of Belarus, Minister of State for Defense of India Mallipudi Mangapati Pallam Raju stated as he met with Defense Minister of Belarus Colonel-General Leonid Maltsev in Minsk on 25 October.

“India values highly the friendship with Belarus and its technological potential,” Pallam Raju said.

The Indian official expressed satisfaction with the progress in the military cooperation between Belarus and India. “Our military research carried out in line with the bilateral agreements has been making headway,” he said and expressed hope that this cooperation would continue developing.

According to Pallam Raju, Belarus and India have similar views upon many issues of the international agenda. “I am confident that strong friendship and a growing number of bilateral visits will make our countries closer,” he said.

Pallam Raju also conveyed greetings to Leonid Maltsev from the Defense Minister of India. Mallipudi Mangapati Pallam Raju invited Leonid Maltsev to visit an international exhibition of armament and military hardware that is due in India in 2010.

According to the official website of the Defense Ministry of India, the two sides are set to discuss equipping of the Indian Army with IFV-2, T-72 and T-90 tanks, optic-electronic management systems, on-board computers, etc. A representative of the Indian state-run company Bharat Dynamics Limited plans to continue the discussion of the Osa-AK Surface to Air Missile System upgrade program with the Tetrahedron scientific company.

In addition, Pallam Raju is going to visit the Agat Company with which the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization is drafting a long-term cooperation agreement.

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