Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left Sunday for a five-day visit to Russia and China.

In a statement upon departure, Singh said that the proposed border cooperation agreement with China will top the agenda during his visit to Beijing.

He said he will discuss the issue with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang with a forward-looking and problem-solving approach.

"India and China have historical issues and there are areas of concern. The two governments are addressing them with sincerity and maturity, without letting them affect the overall atmosphere of friendship and cooperation," he said.

"I will be discussing some of these issues as part of strategic communication between leaders with a forward-looking and problem-solving approach," he said.

He also said that India and China have reached important consensus on maintaining peace and tranquility on the border and made preliminary progress toward settlement of the India-China boundary question.

His visit comes after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang paid a highly successful visit to India in May this year.

During their meeting in Beijing, the two leaders are also expected to discuss expanding and furthering economic and trade cooperation.

In a statement before leaving India, the Indian prime minister spoke of the longstanding defense and trade ties with Russia.

"The scope of our relationship with Russia is unique, encompassing strong and growing cooperation in areas such as defense, nuclear energy, science and technology, hydrocarbons, trade and investment," he said in a statement.

Singh will meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday with the focus on arms purchases.

India has been Russia's top weapons buyer for years.

Both countries will also be looking to seal accords on the next phase of a Russian-built nuclear power project on India's south coast.

The project is designed to help meet India's surging demand for electricity, but has been dogged by delays and protests over safety.

Xinhua - AFP