India and Russia signed Monday more than 200 deals in a range of industries and a 10-year defence cooperation pact.

Russian President signed 28 agreements Vladimir PutinMeeting with Indian Prime Minister and visiting New Delhi Narendra ModiThe 21st India Russia annual summit.

“The variety of agreements [memorandum of understandings]”The multi-faceted nature and importance of the bilateral partnership was demonstrated today by the agreements signed today,” India’s Foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla told a media briefing Monday. These deals include trade, science, technology and education, as well as intellectual property.

He said that India and Russia had also agreed to a cooperation program in defense over the next 10 years (from 2021-2031).

Modi was there to meet the U.S. president Joe BidenIn September attended the first in-person Quad Leaders Summit hosted by Biden. To counter China’s increasing influence in Asia-Pacific, the United States views India as an important ally.

Richard Rossow from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Wadhwani chair for U.S. policy studies on India, said Monday’s meeting between Modi and Putin proved that India is open to exploring all its options.

Rossow stated that India is concerned about America’s reliability as a partner. He said this not only in defense space but also because of concerns over religious tolerance in India.Squawk Box AsiaOn Tuesday.

“While I think they have a majority of their eggs in the United States’ basket, if you look all around — but on defense at least, where they need strategic technology — they want to make sure they keep options open,” he said. Rossow stated that Moscow is determined to prevent any one nation, even China, from monopolizing Asia.

He said, “So, I believe both have an overriding strategic interests, regardless of any relationship with the United States.”

In a joint-statement on Monday, India and Russia said they intend to “upgrade the defence cooperation, including facilitating joint development and production of military equipment, components and spare parts, enhancing the after-sales service system, progress towards mutual recognition of quality control and regular joint exercises of the Armed Forces of the two countries.”

Russia remains India’s biggest arms supplier. Between 2016 and 2020, 23% of Russian arms exports went to South Asia. according to a reportStockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Shringla, Foreign Secretary of Russia, stated Monday that Russia began delivering to India its S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile defence systems. The delivery was a result of a bilateral agreement signed by the two countries in 2018.

He stated, “Supplies began this month and will continue,” and added, “It’s important to remember that whether it’s us or Russia we have an independent foreign policy. I don’t believe we should look at our relationship through the prism of other relationships that are there.

This partnership may lead to possible sanctions by the United States under a 2017 lawIt was designed to dissuade allies of purchasing Russian arms. Washington, D.C. sanctioned Turkey for its purchase of the S-400 missile system.

Media reports also saidThe two nations signed a contract to produce more than 600,000.00 Russian AK-203 assault weapons locally in India.

Rossow, CSIS spokesperson said that India and Russia have limited military cooperation because they lack areas in which they share interests.

“I believe you will continue defense sales over the next 10 year, some nominal exercises and possibly some other types of technology cooperation. He said that the true depth and practicality of their relationship is going to remain limited as they do not have many theaters in which they share interests.

India’s purchases of US military equipment have increased in recent years. However, the majority of India’s defense stock is still Russian.

In the last year the U.S. signed a deal with IndiaThis would enable New Delhi to have access to U.S. satellite information that is crucial in targeting missiles or other military assets.