India and Russia to sign agreements during Russian Prez’s visit

• India and Russia are likely to sign a number of agreements in key areas of defence, civil nuclear cooperation, space and economy during the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev beginning 21 December.
• The two sides will also look at ways to expand cooperation in the field of hydrocarbons.
• Enhancing economic relations will be another important aspect of the visit as both sides feel that business ties are yet to achieve their potential.
  
• Mr Medvedev, will hold talks with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh tomorrow on a range of bilateral and regional matters, including situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, apart from global issues. Our correspondent reports that both the countries have set a trade target of 20 billion US dollar in next five years.