Pranab Mukherjee to leave for Moscow tomorrow

New Delhi, Oct 10 (UNI) External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will leave here tomorrow for Moscow to attend the 13th session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation.

Mr Mukherjee will be accompanied on the three-day visit by a delegation that will include senior officials from the ministries of External Affairs, Finance, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Steel, Science and Technology and Culture, an official statement said.

The meeting of the Inter-Governmental Commission will be co-chaired by Mr Mukherjee and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander D Zhukov.

The Commission will review progress in various fields since its last session here in December, 2006.

There are five Working Groups (WGs) under the Commission on Trade&Economic Cooperation, Mines&Metallurgy, Energy, Science and Technology, and Tourism and Culture.

These WGs meet over the year to review progress since the last year in their respective fields.

A two-day meeting of a Joint Task Force on Mutual Financial Obligations began discussions today on settlement of financial issues between the two countries.

A sub-Group on banking had separately met last week to deliberate on cooperation in the banking sector. A Protocol on the 13th Session of the Inter-Governmental Commission would be signed at the conclusion of the meeting.

During the visit, Mr Mukherjee is expected to meet Russian leaders, including his counterpart Sergei Lavrov, the statement added.

UNI