Despite serious differences over the tests in May, Primakov's visit is an indication that Moscow is now willing to not only acknowledge India's informal accession to the nuclear club, but also keen on maintaining a diversified relationship with India. His visit, analysts say, is significant especially because the Russian Prime Minister is gradually becoming the most powerful man in his country.

In fact, when Yeltsin's trip scheduled for December 6-7 had to be cancelled over ill-health, Moscow proposed that Primakov come instead. Not only was New Delhi mighty relieved that it needn't have to lose face, but it was increasingly obvious that Moscow was looking for ``other friends'' as its honeymoon with the West ran into trouble.

This will be Primakov's first visit toIndia as Prime Minister, although he has come to India on several occasions as director of the Oriental Institute, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service and Foreign Minister.

No Russian Prime Minister has visited India since December 1994, when former Viktor Chermomydrin came on an official visit. Former PM H D Gowda visited Russia in March 1997, and Yeltsin himself visited India in 1993.

``India-Russia relations are based on continuity, trust and confidence. There is political consensus across the board between the two countries. The period of equidistance with Islamabad and New Delhi is well behind us,'' official sources said.

As many as seven agreements will be signed on Monday, but a key pact on ``strategic cooperation'' has been deferred for when Russian President Boris Yeltsin makes his own trip.

The agreements include, an extradition treaty, mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, long-term programme on military-technical cooperation upto 2010, air services (which is long overdue)and one on cooperation in the field of communications. An MOU on oil exploration and exploitation and a protocol on steel are also likely.

Official confidence is borne out by a number of facts: Within weeks of India's tests, Russian Atomic Energy minister Adamov was in town to sign the ``supplement'' to the two civilian nuclear power plants to be built by Moscow in Kudamkulam, Tamil Nadu.

By September, the first out of seven cryogenic engine blocks had been delivered to Indian Space Research Organisation.

The economic relationship also seems to be picking up, despite the continuing crisis in Russia.

The bilateral joint commission consists of as many as 11 working groups, the largest India has with any country. Last year, trade was $2 billion annually, an increase of 14 per cent over the previous year.

During talks, Primakov and Prime Minister Vajpayee are expected to focus on: Improving the trade mechanism with a view to doubling trade turnover within the next few years, introducing up-to-datetechnology and creating new joint ventures.

Interestingly, under Primakov, Moscow is slowly moving away from auctioning the Indian rupee-rouble debt (worth $1 billion annually) and is now returning to allocating at least half of it to certain official authorities.

Russian officials say they realise they were losing heavily under the discount scheme, as much as 40-50 per cent, and that as Russia faces a continuing economic crisis they could use the Indian money to source food and pharmaceuticals.

New Delhi has also told Moscow that it will not go back on buying oral polio vaccine from Russia. ``The question was whether the Russian vaccine met World Health Organisaton standards. It does. The problem has been sorted out. We will continue to buy from them,'' officials from the ministry of external affairs said.

Currently, India and Russia are working out modalities for investments in joint ventures, for example, in power, coal and steel, oil and pharmaceuticals, through the rupee repayment funds.

TheRussian Government has already decided that it would utilise fifty per cent of the rupee funds for the development of the state industries and fifty per cent for private trade.

On the eve of Primakov's visit, the Russian Government has decided to allocate about half of the Rs 5,700 crore funds available to Russia in 1998-99 for import of foodstuffs, medicines and medical equipment.

A five-year agreement for the import of tea will also be signed during the visit between the Indian tea board and Russian tea Importers' and Packers' Association.