OREANDA-NEWS. India and Russia will soon sign a contract for jointly developing the much-delayed fifth-generation fighter aircraft, a top Russian official has said.

Sergei Chemezov, the CEO of Rostec State Corporation, said that all decisions over the multi-billion dollar project to jointly develop the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) will be finalised in the "nearest future".

India and Russia inked an inter-governmental pact for the FGFA project in 2007.

"As for the 5th generation (fighter aircraft) - the work is underway. Stage one is over. Now we are discussing the second stage. And I think that in the nearest future, all decisions will be made and the contract documents will be signed," Chemezov told reporters on the sidelines of Russia's premier air show MAKS 2017 here.

"But the work is going, it is very complicated, so it is not going fast," he acknowledged.