Moscow: India and Russia Monday recharged their "time-tested" ties by signing four agreements in space, defence, trade and narcotics control sectors, but agreed to defer a pact on Moscow building four additional nuclear reactors at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu till the Nuclear Suppliers Group clears the India-US nuclear deal.

The two sides, however, stressed that they will continue to expand their ongoing cooperation in civilian nuclear energy.

The agreements were signed after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues, including the intensification of economic ties, civil nuclear cooperation, the Iranian issue, the trilateral cooperation between India, Russia and China, and the situation in their neighbourhood.

The space agreement was signed outside the Kremlin between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Russia's Federal Space Agency.

"I am extremely satisfied with my discussions with President Putin. They were characterised by warmth, cordiality and unanimity on many of the issues that we had discussed at our last summit in January," Manmohan Singh said after over two hours of restricted discussions with Putin at the Kremlin - one of the longest interactions with any head of state.

National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon were the only Indian officials present at the talks between Manmohan Singh and Putin before the two sides held delegation-level discussions.

In a clear message to those who see a chill in India-Russia ties, the two leaders affirmed their commitment to consolidate and expand their strategic ties and decided to underpin these with a robust economic partnership.

The four agreements signed on joint moon exploration under Chandrayaan-II project and exploration of outer space for peaceful purposes, the utilization of rupee-rouble debt for Russian investments in India, the joint production of a multi-role transport aircraft, and control of narcotics trafficking underlined the continuing vitality of bilateral ties.

"Russia has always been a reliable supplier and will always be a reliable partner," Manmohan Singh said at a joint press interaction with Putin. He had earlier described Russia as a "time-tested" friend.

Putin, who also hosted a banquet in Manmohan Singh's honour, reciprocated the sentiments. "Russia has always been a reliable partner and India knows that," Putin stressed.

"India and Russia enjoy extensive cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy. And we have been doing it for years," Manmohan Singh said.

"Russia is building two light water reactors at Kudankulam and has supplied fuel for Tarapur," he said.

"An inter-governmental agreement to that effect is in progress. We look forward to further expanding cooperation in civil nuclear energy," Manmohan Singh said while alluding to a protocol of intent on Russia building four additional nuclear reactors in Kudankuam signed by the two countries during Putin's visit.