India-Russia ink trade & arms deals

On Monday, Russia and India signed a flurry of trade and arms deals. The pacts come amid President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two countries decided to reinforce their ties with a military and technical cooperation pact until 2031. They have also resolved to augment their annual trade to US$ 30 billion by 2025.
One of the arms deals will see India produce more than 600,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles. India will also continue to produce AK-203 assault rifles. Russia, on its part, said that it was interested in continuing to provide S-400 air defense missile systems. Among other things, the two world leaders also spoke about the situation in Afghanistan, voicing their commitment to ensure that the country will never become a safe haven for international terrorism.