Article Posted on : - Jan 10, 2019

NEW DELHI (PTI): Russia on Wednesday said there will be no delays in the delivery of the S-400 air defence systems to India and a payment mechanism for the deal is being worked out.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the missile systems will significantly enhance India's air defence capability.

Last week, the Government informed Lok Sabha that it will start receiving the missile systems from Russia from October next year and the deliveries will be completed by April 2023.

India inked an agreement with Russia in October 2018 to procure a batch of the missile systems at a cost of Rs 40,000 crore. India went ahead to seal the deal notwithstanding the US' warnings against it.

There were apprehensions about the payment mechanism for the deal in the wake of the US sanctions against Russia.

"India would receive the systems as agreed upon in due time, without any delays. And, your (India's) national security will be enhanced substantially," Ryabkov told reporters.

"We (Russia) want to be immune to arbitrary unilateral measures undertaken by some country against a very legitimate form of international cooperation," he said.