The prime minister conveyed his acceptance to Russian President Vladimir Putin's invitation to participate in the dialogue during a 20-minute telephone conversation late Saturday evening, the ministry of external affairs said in a statement.

The Indian side initiated the conversation, which came 24 hours after the departure of US President George W. Bush after a three-day visit.

"The two leaders discussed implementation of areas of cooperation identified during their last summit in Moscow in December 2005" in the context of the mid-March visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, the statement said.

The discussion also covered India-Russia bilateral economic and commercial relations, with Manmohan Singh expressing "satisfaction" over Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization.

"The two leaders also discussed ongoing cooperation in the field of civilian nuclear technology," the statement said.

They also exchanged views on Monday's meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors.

"The prime minister welcomed Russia's efforts to address the issue related to Iran's nuclear program through dialogue and consultations," the statement said.

News source: www.newkerala.com
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