New Delhi, Safar 11, 1434, Dec 24, 2012, SPA - Russia and India signed new weapons deals worth billions of dollars Monday as President Vladimir Putin sought to further boost ties with New Delhi. Putin and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed cooperation between their countries as officials signed a $1.6 billion deal for India to purchase 42 Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets and a $1.3 billion contract for the delivery of 71 Mil Mi-17 military helicopters. Singh said the talks included discussions on the security situation in the region, including Afghanistan. "India and Russia share the objective of a stable, united, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan, free from extremism," Singh told reporters after the talks, according to a report of the Associated Press. --SPA 13:29 LOCAL TIME 10:29 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1062230