Reflecting its close ties with India, Russia is pushing for the country's inclusion in

RELATED ARTICLES RIM launches BlackBerry Curve 9320 in India India a safe investment destination:Moily Goldman Sachs, BofA-ML cut India GDP forecast Toyota denies plan for $6,000 cars in India India Q4 GDP seen slowing to 6 per cent: StanChart

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation to enhance the effectiveness of the regional grouping and is also supporting New Delhi's full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

A Joint Declaration adopted at the end of the summit talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia supported India's full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

India is currently an observer in this grouping and Singh had participated in its meeting at Yekaterinburg in Russia in June this year.

"The Russian side supports India's full membership in the SCO," the declaration said.

"The Russian side appreciates the level of representation at the level of Prime Minister from India at the summit meeting of the SCO at Yekaterinburg," it said.

Russia also voiced confidence that "engagement" of India in the APEC will enhance capacity-building and effectiveness of its mechanism and encourage enhanced trade and investment cooperation in the region.

"Russia supports India's membership in the APEC and will work towards lifting the moratorium on expanding APEC's membership," the joint declaration said.