Russian military take part in the Indo-Russian joint military exercise "INDRA 2013", to improve capabilities for carrying out anti-terrorist operations at Mahajan field firing range near India-Pakistan border in Thar desert of Rajasthan on Oct. 20, 2013. (Xinhua)

MOSCOW, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Saturday agreed with his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman that the two countries need to strengthen their joint work on fighting terrorism and in military-technical fields, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"During the telephone conversation, defense minsters of the two countries noted the importance to step up cooperation in combating terrorist threats," a ministry statement said.

They also discussed prospects of advancing collaboration in the military and military-technical fields, it added.

Shoigu also offered condolences on the death of Indian servicemen as a result of a terrorist attack earlier last month.

On Feb. 14, a suicide attack in the Pulwama district of the Indian-controlled Kashmir killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary personnel, which triggered a new wave of armed clashes between the two countries.

Militant group Jaish-e-Muhammad, which is outlawed in Pakistan, claimed the responsibility for the attack. India blamed Pakistan of links with the attack but Pakistan rejected the allegations.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a phone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he hopes that the current crisis between India and Pakistan will be settled soon.