-Caveat Lector- By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV The Associated Press 10/3/00 8:15 PM NEW DELHI, India (AP) -- Reaching out to bolster ties with an old ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a pact with India on Tuesday and hailed the nation as Moscow's key strategic partner in terms that evoked their Soviet-era friendship. "The traditional partnership between India and Russia has been tested by time and is the most important stabilizing factor, not only for the Asian region, but for the whole world," Putin said after he and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee signed a Declaration on Strategic Partnership. The far-reaching document signals Moscow's attempt to reinvigorate relations with India, which slackened after the 1991 Soviet collapse. Although India has remained a leading customer of Russian weapons industries, other trade has shrunk. New Delhi has also developed its ties with the United States, ending decades of distrust and tension. While Putin has said Russia welcomes the warming between Washington and New Delhi, his three-day visit clearly reflects Moscow's concern about its traditional ally being drawn away. The only field where bilateral cooperation has never waned -- military ties -- is to receive a boost during the visit. On Tuesday, negotiators from the two countries were finalizing an agreement on sales of hundreds of Russian tanks and dozens of fighter jets to India. The deal was to be ready before Putin leaves New Delhi on Wednesday. In the declaration signed Tuesday, the two countries pledged to avoid an alliance or conflict directed at one another. They also promised that neither would join any alliance or sign any agreement that would infringe on the other's territorial integrity, sovereignty or national security interests. By accepting the formula, Moscow seemed to strengthen India's hand in its long-running border disputes with Pakistan and China. Pakistan, which has fought two wars with India over Jammu and Kashmir, claims the region in its entirety. The Kremlin has recently tried to establish contacts with Pakistan after decades of hostility, stoking fears in India. Vajpayee said Putin's visit "provides a major impetus in our relations at the beginning of the new millennium." Putin said India and Russia share the same views on global issues, including the need to preserve the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty that Washington wants to modify. He promised to support India's bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, saying it is a "strong and fitting contender." Copyright 2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
