"Competition is tough and sometimes unscrupulous throughout the world, especially as far as military-technological cooperation goes, the tough area, in which we must also be tough and competitive, employing all means of competition," Mr Ivanov said Tuesday when he addressed Russian reporters.
"If we are treated unfairly, we should also act this way towards others," said the minister.
When asked what other countries thought of Russian-Indian cooperation, the minister said that to him it was not that important. National interests are what must worry Russia in the first instance. This is the underlying principle for all other countries, added the minister.
Mr Ivanov said India maintained military-technological cooperation with other countries too, above all developed countries.
"Russia is taking it easy. Russia understands that it can retain the enormous Indian market by the quality, reasonable prices and competitiveness of its products. If Russia placed an emphasis on ten-year-old traditions of Russo-Indian friendship, it would found itself in a deadlock. To count on friendly relations alone is a rather dangerous illusion," noted the defense minister.
