The Delhi Declaration, signed by Putin and Vajpayee, described relationship between the two countries as relying on long-standing traditions of friendship and good neighborliness.

The two sides are determined to elevate their strategic partnership to an even higher and qualitatively new level in both bilateral and international arenas, the declaration said.

It called for strengthening of economic cooperation and people to people contacts in the context of Indo-Russian partnership, which provides a solid framework for long-term and all-round development of relationship.

Neither side should take any actions which might threaten or impair the security of the other, the declaration said. Both sides should be guided by this principle in determining their security and defense policies as well as in military and technical cooperation with third countries, it added

"Bilateral cooperation as well as cooperation with other countries would be further enhanced to meet the various challenges of globalization, in particular the mitigation of its negative manifestations," it declared.

The document made it clear that enduring ties of friendship, trust and confidence and commonality of interests confer on India and Russia a unique capability to contribute to the evolution of a new world order, which would be stable, secure, equitable and sustainable and would be based on the respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.

Both countries favor strengthening of the UN central role in promoting international security in a multi-polar world and stand for enhancing the efficiency of the United Nations and its Security Council, making them more reflective of the contemporary geopolitical and economic realities and rendering them more representative of the interests of the vast majority of the UN members.

The two countries called for early start of multilateral talks aimed at preparing a comprehensive arrangement on non-deployment of weapons in outer space, non-use or threat of use of force in respect of space-based objects and preserving the use of space forfull range of cooperation, peaceful and developmental activities.

On Afghanistan and Central Asia, the two countries stressed the need to assess the evolving situation in the country and agreed to cooperate closely in the reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.

It called for containment of the spiral of violence in the Middle East and resumption of negotiations towards the establishment of a just and durable peace on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions.

Both sides supported the continuation of political and diplomatic efforts to fully implement all the UN Security Council resolutions on Iraq, the declaration said.

India and Russia "are fully determined" to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism, which both countries regarded as global threats.

(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2002)