MOSCOW: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday praised his country's ties with India, a fellow member of the BRIC club of emerging economic giants and a top market for Russian arms exports.

Medvedev touted the "energetic, constructive and wide-ranging political dialogue which exists between Russia and India" at a meeting in the Kremlin with Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna.

The meeting was part of preparations for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's planned visit to Russia in December.

Medvedev said the two countries had cooperated in "joint work against current threats like terrorism, narco-crime and organised crime" as well in battling the effects of the global economic crisis.

"We view Russia as a global power that plays a special role in ensuring peace and stability, not only in the world at large, but also in our neighbourhood," Krishna told Medvedev.

Russia has pursued close ties with India, as well as fellow BRIC members Brazil and China, in its efforts to promote a "multipolar" world order not dominated by the United States.

But Russian-Indian ties have been strained by problems with New Delhi's bid to buy a Russian aircraft carrier, the Admiral Gorshkov.

Delays in the effort to modernise the Soviet-era warship before giving it to India have embarrassed Moscow and led to price disputes between the countries, which have had friendly relations dating back to the Cold War.