''Russia is India's strongest defence partner'' : Sibal

Moscow, June 6 (UNI) Stressing that there was no ''perceptible divergence'' of strategic interests between India and Russia, Indian Ambassador Kanwal Sibal said Russia was India's strongest defence partner.

''Overall, there is no perceptible divergence of strategic interests of the two countries,'' Mr Sibal said in an interview to the Russian Profile magazine.

''That doesn't mean that we agree 100 per cent with everything they do, but the things that we do disagree on, are not particularly significant within the broader relationship,'' he added.

''I genuinely think that we have long-term compatibility in our national and geopolitical interests,'' Mr Sibal noted.

He pointed out that this was the reason India and Russia had retained a ''steady and stable relationship for so many decades.'' ''Russia does not put any pressure on our foreign policy and doesn't interfere in our domestic politics. And it's not pursuing policies in our neighbourhood that would create problems for us,'' the ambassador said adding ''Russia is our strongest defence partner.'' UNI