NEW DELHI, June 17 (RIA Novosti) - RIA Novosti opened a multimedia press center in the Indian capital New Delhi on Tuesday as part of the agency's Russian Information Center in India.

RIA Novosti's Russian Information Center opened in India in February 2008, shortly after the year of Russia in India began.

The multimedia press center, located at the Russian Embassy in India's information department, was designed to carry out online news conferences, TV links and roundtables.

"Undoubtedly, this is a timely step and the opening of the center will boost the two countries' knowledge of each other," Russian ambassador in India Vyacheslav Trubnikov said at the first news conference to be held at the center.

In turn, deputy RIA Novosti editor-in-chief, Alexander Babinsky, who spoke from Moscow via TV link, expressed hopes that the center would make a "solid informational contribution" to strengthening Russian-Indian ties.

Next year will be the Year of India in Russia.