VZCZCXYZ0004
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNE #3972 2430909
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 310909Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7926
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6506
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4211
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2350
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5285
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 5309
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 7221
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS NEW DELHI 003972 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MASS MOPS RS IN
SUBJECT: DELHI DIARY, AUGUST 22-30 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Below is a compilation of political highlights from 
Embassy New Delhi for August 22-30, 2007 that did not feature 
in our other reporting, including: 
 
-- Narayanan in Moscow for Defense Talks 
 
-- India and Russia to Conduct Indra 2007 War Games in Russia 
in September 
 
Narayanan in Moscow for Defense Talks 
------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan arrived in 
Moscow August 27 for high level defense talks.  In an August 
28 meeting with Acting Secretary of the Russian Security 
Council, Valentin Sobolev, Narayanan reportedly agreed to 
enhance cooperation between the two countries, national 
security councils in view of new challenges to global 
security, citing Afghanistan as an area needing greater 
coordination.  According to media reports, Narayanan met 
August 29 with Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov to counter 
recent Russian chicanery in several recent mega-price tag 
defense sales to India, such as Russia ex post facto hiking 
the contract price for SU-30 fighters by USD two billion and 
the refurbishment of the aircraft carrier Gorshkov by USD 113 
million, as well as the expected many months delay of the 
Gorshkov to India.  Narayanan also discussed nuclear 
cooperation.  Narayanan,s visit will be followed by Indian 
Army Chief J.J. Singh,s September 15-19 visit for defense 
and security talks with top Russian brass.  A likely topic of 
discussion would be the proposed Indo-Russian 
joint-production of a fifth generation fighter plane.  Indian 
Defense Minister A.K. Antony, in a written reply to the 
Indian parliament on August 22, stated that &co-development 
of the fifth generation fighter plane has been identified as 
an important area of cooperation.8  These talks set the 
stage for the Seventh Annual Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental 
Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) 
between the two Defense Ministers, scheduled for October, 
¶2007. 
 
India and Russia to Conduct Indra 2007 War Games in Russia in 
September 
------- 
 
¶3.  (U) For the first time ever, Indian troops will conduct 
joint military exercises on Russian soil September 19 while 
participating in INDRA 2007.  The INDRA joint exercises 
between India and Russia have been held biennially since 
¶2003.  The naval portion of INDRA 2007 was conducted by 
Indian and Russian naval ships in the Sea of Japan in April. 
For September,s games, Indian paratroopers will travel to 
Pskov, at the headquarters of Russia,s elite airborne 
division, to conduct joint anti-terrorism exercises with 
their Russian counterparts. 
WHITE