Article Posted on : - Dec 11, 2012

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh meeting the President of Ukraine, Mr Viktor Yanukovych, in New Delhi on Dec 10, 2012. A PMO photo

NEW DELHI (PTI): Strengthening their military ties, India and Ukraine have signed a framework agreement to further expand their defence cooperation.

The agreement was signed after comprehensive talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in New Delhi on Monday.

In a statement, the Prime Minister also said that the two countries were already undertaking a number of defence cooperation projects and the latest defence cooperation agreement establishes a new framework for expending this cooperation.

In 2009, the two countries had signed a deal for upgrading 100 AN-32 aircraft of Indian Air Force of which 25 have already been upgraded in Ukraine while the rest would be modernised at IAF facilities in Kanpur.

During the Soviet era, a number of defence facilities were developed in Ukraine. During that period, aircraft manufacturing facilities were located in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.

The country is now among the top 10 defence manufacturers in the world with an industry producing tanks and planes.

Interestingly, Indian naval pilots training for taking off from Russian-built aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov are also supposed to train in Ukraine at its shore-based take off and landing facility.

In the recent past, Ukraine had also offered to co-develop a transport aircraft with Indian firms which could be used for export purposes also.

During the Soviet era, facilities to develop transport aircraft were based in Ukraine and they have been maintained even after its break-up from the erstwhile USSR.