"Presently the assistance is limited in civil areas, but talks are on to expand the canvas of the agreement by providing assistance to the Indian side by including military support to India," said Vladimir Romanov, the deputy head of science and technology at the Russian embassy said.

Romanov, who was attending a seminar on Indo-Russian Space cooperation, said the Russian assistance would be intended to help India improve the accuracy of its guided missiles. He also said Russia was using private participation in its space program in the wake of the collapse of Soviet Union.

Commenting on the status of space research in Russia today, compared with the days of the Soviet Union, Romanov said "there is no change in prominence. It depends upon funding. When funds (decrease), opportunities also will be limited, but we are trying to overcome the situation by using private participation in communication related projects."

He also told the newspaper the Indian Space Research Organization and Roscosmos, its Russian counterpart, are discussing a partnership to attempt manned space missions and lunar exploration.

The seminar was organized to commemorate the 45th anniversary of first human flight into space by Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961.

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