India-Russia Air Force to conduct first ever Joint exercise in 2014

Signifying the growing strategic cooperation between India and Russia, the two countries have agreed to jointly conduct first ever air force exercise in 2014, Indian Defense Ministry stated Monday. The ministry said the 13th Meeting of the India-Russia Inter Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC), co-chaired by the Indian Defense Minister AK Antony with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Shoigu in Moscow decided that the two countries will hold joint Air Force level exercise for the first time in 2014. Also, the ministry said India and Russia would conduct joint Navy Exercise in the Peter the Great Bay in the Sea of Japan. "The two Ministers agreed that there is a need for further cooperation at all levels, especially in view of the regional and global challenges and to fight the menace of terrorism jointly," the ministry added. The ministry noted that both the countries also reviewed the situation in West Asia, especially in Syria and the evolving paradigm in Afghanistan. "Both the sides agreed to expand the range of their strategic partnership in a significant manner," the ministry stated. India and Russia also decided to expand the cooperation in product design and development, and various echelons of the Defense establishments in strategizing policies and cooperation in the fast changing global security scenario, the ministry said.