Putin intends to discuss economic cooperation, including increasing imports, during India visit

MOSCOW. Dec 2 (Interfax) - Russia is increasing trade with foreign partners, the biggest of them India and China, and intends to continue developing economic cooperation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a plenary session of the "Russia Calling!" forum organized by VTB on Tuesday.

This topic will be touched on in particular during his upcoming visit to India, Putin said.

"We have substantially increased the volume of our trade over the past three years. Primarily, I mean, with our key partners, China and India, which share long years of friendship and strategic interaction with us," he said.

"I stress: we aim to take our cooperation with China and with India to a qualitatively new level, with a reinforcement of its technological component. That is the aim of our numerous joint projects in energy, manufacturing, space, agriculture and so on. On the economic agenda, we have maintained a meaningful dialogue with Chinese President Xi Jinping. We will discuss this topic, including importing more Indian goods to our market, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in more detail during the upcoming visit to India," Putin said.

"Russia is open to cooperation with foreign businesses in trade, in the real sector, and on the stock exchange," he said.

"Our country represents large opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors and the steadiness of the most important macroeconomic indicators guarantees the reliability of such work," Putin said.

Putin's state visit to India is set for December 4-5.