India, Russia to ink contracts for two additional N-reactors
Undeterred by the continuing protests over the controversial Rs 13,000-crore Kudankulam power plant in Tamil Nadu, the upcoming Russia-India Summit next month in Moscow, led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian Premier President Dmitry Medvedev, would see the inking of commercial contracts for construction of two additional reactors Numbers 3 and 4.
"The Russian side is hopeful that by the time of the summit both parties will complete the negotiations in this regard," sources told The Pioneer.
The 2,000 MW Kudankulam project consists of two 1,000 MW reactors, which were to be set up in the first phase and one of them was to go operational in December. However, post-Fukushima, the Russian reactors, which are 99% complete, are in the eye of a storm. Social activists and locals alike have expressed fears over its safety standards and the environmental havoc it can cause.
Diplomatic sources said the Russian company "Atomstroyexport is fulfilling all its obligations as per the contract", and the first reactor of the KNPP is ready to be commissioned. It will be done as soon as the authorities take a decision.
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, who heads to Russia next week to co-chair the Indo-Russian Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation, will also finalise the non-military cooperation agenda for the Moscow summit next month.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit Russia on December 16-17 to attend the next round of Summit at the invitation of President Dmitry Medvedev.
Sources said, "Cooperation in a peaceful nuclear field is one of the major topics for discussions between the two nations. The summit will see discussion over the situation the Kudankulam plant."
Russia and India have big plans for the future in the field of peaceful nuclear energy, including the roadmap of bilateral cooperation, that were approved in March 2010. Russia hopes that they will be implemented accordingly, for the benefit of both sides.
Highlighting the warmth and degree of Indo-Russian strategic cooperation in various fields, sources said there are over a dozen bilateral documents in the list, at various stages of negotiation or finalization. Russia expects most of them to be ready for signing at the upcoming Summit
Krishna will visit Russia from November 17-19 to co-chair the 17th session of the Intergovernmental Joint Commission alongwith Vice Premier Sergei Ivanov. Krishna will discuss various aspects of "special and privileged strategic partnership" between the two countries in detail. This will include the complete scope of cooperation, from nuclear energy and space research to pharmaceutics, IT, communications, financing and banking, besides cultural relations, sources said.
India, Russia to ink contracts for two additional N-reactors
Undeterred by the continuing protests over the controversial Rs 13,000-crore Kudankulam power plant in Tamil Nadu, the upcoming Russia-India Summit next month in Moscow, led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian Premier President Dmitry Medvedev, would see the inking of commercial contracts for construction of two additional reactors Numbers 3 and 4.
"The Russian side is hopeful that by the time of the summit both parties will complete the negotiations in this regard," sources told The Pioneer.
The 2,000 MW Kudankulam project consists of two 1,000 MW reactors, which were to be set up in the first phase and one of them was to go operational in December. However, post-Fukushima, the Russian reactors, which are 99% complete, are in the eye of a storm. Social activists and locals alike have expressed fears over its safety standards and the environmental havoc it can cause.
Diplomatic sources said the Russian company "Atomstroyexport is fulfilling all its obligations as per the contract", and the first reactor of the KNPP is ready to be commissioned. It will be done as soon as the authorities take a decision.
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, who heads to Russia next week to co-chair the Indo-Russian Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation, will also finalise the non-military cooperation agenda for the Moscow summit next month.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit Russia on December 16-17 to attend the next round of Summit at the invitation of President Dmitry Medvedev.
Sources said, "Cooperation in a peaceful nuclear field is one of the major topics for discussions between the two nations. The summit will see discussion over the situation the Kudankulam plant."
Russia and India have big plans for the future in the field of peaceful nuclear energy, including the roadmap of bilateral cooperation, that were approved in March 2010. Russia hopes that they will be implemented accordingly, for the benefit of both sides.
Highlighting the warmth and degree of Indo-Russian strategic cooperation in various fields, sources said there are over a dozen bilateral documents in the list, at various stages of negotiation or finalization. Russia expects most of them to be ready for signing at the upcoming Summit
Krishna will visit Russia from November 17-19 to co-chair the 17th session of the Intergovernmental Joint Commission alongwith Vice Premier Sergei Ivanov. Krishna will discuss various aspects of "special and privileged strategic partnership" between the two countries in detail. This will include the complete scope of cooperation, from nuclear energy and space research to pharmaceutics, IT, communications, financing and banking, besides cultural relations, sources said.
India, Russia to ink contracts for two additional N-reactors