India and Russia on Wednesday agreed to
conclude at an early date the general
framework
agreement on reactors 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam nuclear power project in Tamil
Nadu, official sources said.
The "general agreement" concerning the
reactors was reached during the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission
meeting chaired by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Russian Deputy
Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin in Delhi. The meeting also focused on nuclear,
space, energy and economic cooperation.
Sources said the meeting "positively
assessed" the progress made in the Kudankulam nuclear power plant which
was rapidly achieving full capacity. The two sides hoped that the nuclear power
plant will achieve its full capacity by April-May. They also reviewed the rapid
progress made on completion of the Kudankulam 2 reactor and hoped that it would
be connected to the power grid before the end of the year.
Sources said the discussions also encompassed
possibilities of cooperating on space applications, including use of GLONASS, a
global navigation satellite system, for tracking navigation of heavy trucks and
other services. The two sides discussed the possibility of Russia being the
partner in the India International Trade Fair in 2015 and agreed that the India
Trade Show to be held in Moscow in September this year would be an appropriate
opportunity for major tie-ups for businesses of both sides.
