Russian Defence Minister Serdyukov to Renegotiate INS Vikramaditya (Admiral Gorshkov) Deal
Dated 9/9/2008
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The ongoing price negotiations for the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier will get a fillip this month-end when Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov visits India to attend the 8th round of an inter-governmental commission.
"The Russian Defence Minister will be in New Delhi from September 28 to 30 to co-chair the Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission for Military and Technical Cooperation," Defence Ministry sources said here today.
Indian Defence Minister A K Antony will be the other chairperson for the annual meeting, which was last held in Moscow in September 2007.
There would be delegation-level meetings between the two Defence Ministers, apart from a visit by Serdyukov to BrahMos Aerospace Limited complex here in New Delhi. BrahMos is an Indo-Russian joint venture for design, development and marketing of cruise missiles.
The meeting is taking place in the backdrop of the two countries coming close to renegotiating the key Gorshkov aircraft carrier (re-christened INS Vikramaditya) deal, with New Delhi considering the Russian demand for a staggering US 1.2 billion dollar hike in the price of the warship.
The ship was sold to India for US 1.5 billion dollar by Russia on the condition that its refit would be done in the Sevmash shipyard there to which India agreed.
But there have been problems with the shipyard delaying the delivery of the aircraft carrier, which is crucial for Indian Navy's operational plans, to 2012.
