New Delhi, 13th March, 2010: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived in the capital on Thursday night on a 22-hour visit during which India and Russia are to sign over a dozen agreements, including an umbrella civil nuclear pact.

 Putin was accompanied by a high-powered delegation comprising senior ministers and senior officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Sobyanin, and Minister for Economic Development Elvira Nabiullina and Minister of Energy Sergei Shmatko.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday held talks with Putin, who is seen here as a close friend of India and a co-architect of India-Russia strategic partnership. The two sides are expected to sign over a dozen pacts, including an umbrella inter-governmental civil nuclear agreement and another accord freezing the price of the refurbished aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov as well as a clutch of defence deals and a visa pact, sources said.