PM Singh's Russia Visit - Dec2009

[RAM]

India, Russia to sign umbrella nuclear deal 'better than 123'


NEW DELHI: India and Russia will sign on Monday an umbrella agreement for expanding civil nuclear cooperation that will give New Delhi the right to reprocess spent fuel, taking the pact "far beyond the 123 agreement" inked with the US, a top official said here Sunday.

The official's comments came as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in Moscow on a three-day visit that is expected to take the time-tested strategic partnership between the two countries to another level in "an evolving international situation."

The inter-governmental umbrella agreement on peaceful uses of nuclear energy will provide a comprehensive framework for expanding the existing civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries. Last year, the two sides signed a pact for Russia building four additional reactors at Kudankulam in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The agreement will be an advance on the 123 civil nuclear cooperation agreement signed between India and the US last year by granting India the right to reprocess spent fuel and facilitating the transfer of the sensitive enrichment and reprocessing technologies, official sources said.

Recently, India announced the allocation of one more site at Haripur in West Bengal for nuclear reactors supplied by Russia.

Russia, one of the earliest supporters for India re-joining the global nuclear trade, had supported consensus for New Delhi in the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

India and the US are in the final stages of concluding a reprocessing pact. The pact was expected to be signed during Manmohan Singh's visit to Washington last month, but could not materialise due to "minor problems" relating to the language of the draft agreement.

India, Russia to sign umbrella nuclear deal 'better than 123'- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times

 

[RAM]

Broadbased nuke pact with Russia to be beyond 123 agreement

The broadbased nuclear agreement with Russia, which is to be signed during Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh"s visit to Moscow, commencing from today, is expected to go beyond the bilateral 123 civil nuclear agreement signed between India and the United States last year.

Both sides are giving final touches to what is being called a Bilateral Framework Inter-Governmental Agreement on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

India sees this new agreement with Russia as a forward-looking arrangement according to which reprocessing and fuel supply will not be interrupted even if India conducts nuclear tests.

India has been engaged in nuclear trade with Russia for almost two decades, whereas it has formally signed the civil nuclear deal with the US just last year. However, trade in this sector between New Delhi and Washington remains in limbo.

Despite several rounds of discussions between the delegations of the two countries, nuclear commerce is yet to take off. Sources said that techical issues of liability and reprocessing are holding it up.

Recently when asked for his comments on why India and the United States had not been able to give the final touches to the US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation deal, especially on the issue of reprocessing during Prime Minister Singh"""s visit to Washington last month, National Security Adviser M.K.Narayanan said: "It is likely to conclude in a matter of days. We have agreed to the modalities, now just the language, the legalese needs to b worked out."

"Thanks to intervention of President (Obama), we have arrived at the very last stage. There is only one matter left, its only a matter of legalese," he had added.

Official sources here said that as far as reprocessing is concerned, it is connected with arrangements and procedures of one dedicated facility. They said that the United States understood that it would be to their advantage to begin with that. (ANI)

Broadbased nuke pact with Russia to be beyond 123 agreement

 

[IBRIS]

Medvedev: Russia against expanding nuclear club

Russian president urges strict control over nuclear arms 'so they aren't taken hostage by radicals'

Associated Press Published: 12.07.09, 23:52 / Israel News

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday urged greater control over nuclear arms, warning radical elements could threaten neighbors and use the weapons to spark large-scale conflict.


At a joint news conference with visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmoham Singh, Medvedev indicated that Russia is interested in strict control over nuclear weapons "so that they aren't taken hostage by any kind of radicals; so that they won't be used to start any kind of conflict or even threaten neighbors."

"This touches on all countries. This touches, of course, upon the Iranian nuclear program," and that of other states, Medvedev said without naming any.


Russia has until recently been hesitant in showing support for new US-led sanctions against Iran in response to its defiance of an enrichment ban. But Tehran's intentions announced at the end of November to build 10 new uranium enrichment plants appeared to have tipped the balance in Moscow in favor of tougher trade punishment.



"I'll say it openly: Moscow has no interest in expanding the nuclear club," Medvedev said.


Singh is in Moscow on a three-day visit to strike a number of defense and energy deals worth several billion dollars.


India hopes to boost uranium fuel imports from Russia, its Cold War ally, and also wants Russian investment in nuclear power stations at home.


'Major step forward'
State news agencies quoted the country's nuclear energy chief Sergei Kiriyenko as saying that Russia may build up to 20 reactors at three sites in India.


"Nuclear cooperation between the Russian Federation and India in my view has a very big, a very good future," Medvedev said.


Singh said he was "most satisfied" with the talks, which he called "a major step forward."


India is a top Russian arms client, recently securing production licenses for T-90 tanks and contracts to provide Russian aircraft with BrahMos missiles. The countries are building a modern supersonic fighter, equivalent to the US Raptor stealth fighter. But tension has appeared over the cost of refurbishing the Soviet-built aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov for the Indian Navy.

India reportedly paid $617 million when it signed the original contract for the ship in 2004, but later the Russian factory carrying out the repairs demanded another $2 billion, which led to a dispute between the two sides.


Work on the carrier was originally supposed to be completed in 2010, with delivery slated for 2012 after tests.


Singh, who was to meet Prime Minister Vladimir Putin later Monday, praised the countries' economic ties, adding they were shooting for $20 billion in bilateral trade by 2015.

Medvedev: Russia against expanding nuclear club - Israel News, Ynetnews

 

[A.V.]

now thats a deal thats good enough obama undid all the good work that bush did to bring indo-us together and both countries are back on track to their original FRIENDS
singh visited moscow 2 times in 6 months and had the president visit in between just imagine the indo- russia warmth

 

[ppgj]

From Russia with love: 4 new nuclear reactors
Rajeev Deshpande, TNN 8 December 2009, 03:52am IST

MOSCOW: On Monday, as Moscow experienced its first real snowfall this winter, relations between India and Russia experienced more than a thaw, on a range of interests encompassing nuclear trade, shared Af-Pak perceptions and a plan to boost commerce to $20 billion by 2015.

The discussions between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev on Sunday evening and at their more formal meeting on Monday gave what is seen to be a much-needed push to bilateral ties. The process is expected to be consolidated during Singh's meeting with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Medvedev and Putin are slated to visit India next year, with the latter expected sometime in March.

The Singh-Medvedev meeting yielded a rich cache of agreements which included establishing a credit line of $100 million and a nuclear agreement that is expected to provide momentum to India's nuclear trade. Singh said there would an addition to the two reactors being developed at Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu while a site was being considered at Haripur in West Bengal.

Medvedev stressed that Russia did not support any addition to the club of N-weapon states, which has implications on the country's position in Iran, and that N-weapons should not be ``held hostage to terror'', in a fairly direct reference to Pakistan. Though Singh did not refer to Pakistan, he echoed his host's views on a stable Afghanistan with a stable sense of nationhood.

The easy use of phrases like "most rewarding", "a major step in our ties" and "trust and confidence" indicated a genuine meeting of minds as did the assertion that India-Russia trade would touch $20 billion by 2015. Medvedev also made it clear that the G8 statement at La Aquila did not impact on ENR (enrichment and nuclear reprocessing) related agreements with India.

The nuclear agreement with Russia was stressed by both leaders and Department of Atomic Energy chairman Srikumar Banerjee later told mediapersons that fuel guarantees, upfront clearances and, importantly, cooperation in research were important takeaways. Defence and military agreements, supply of spare parts and active cooperation in intelligence sharing augur well for the relationship.

Medvedev said his conversation with Singh was not merely an exchange of impressions but a really "full and substantial" discussion that embraced several interests. Singh said that apart from issues like security and N-trade, he had a "very pleasant discussion" on India's participation in Russia's pharma sector.

The continuing global slowdown and a decline in oil prices have made Russia more open to reaching out to an old friend while the change of guard in US has seen India reaffirm ties, with Singh describing Russia as a "global world power" at a joint press conference on Monday. The two nations also share concerns over the rise of China.

With the meeting with Medvedev having set the mood, Singh's interaction with Putin, still very much the "real" power centre in Moscow, is expected to see a detailed exchange of assessments. Putin and Singh will also address a conference of CEOs to be attended by Indian biz honchos. The easing of credit is seen to address a long-pending irritant as banks have tended to rate Russia's risk status on the higher side.

The two sides signed a total of six agreements but the Russians were clearly pleased with the civil nuclear cooperation pact. The reactors, which cost about $1.5 billion each, will certainly be welcome for a Russian economy that is simply not doing too well. Banerjee told mediapersons that the site would most probably be offered to the Russians once land clearances were obtained from West Bengal government.

Banerjee also spoke of India's plans for 10,000mw capacity which would be a mix of reactors built by foreign suppliers and indigenous 700mw pressurised heavy water reactors. "The current uranium reserves we have allow us to support 10,000mw," Banerjee said. Eight 700mw PHW reactors were being planned at present that would account for 5,600mw.

There was some good news on the uranium supplies front as potentially minable deposits had been found in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The site in Meghalaya was still affected by environmental issues that were being sorted out. These could improve the uranium availability while India could also consider using foreign sources fuel for safeguarded reactors.

From Russia with love: 4 new nuclear reactors - India - The Times of India

 

[enlightened1]

Pact with Russia to boost defence capability: India

PTI STRONG PACTS: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Wreath laying at unknown soldiers Memorial in Kremlin on Monday. India and Russia inked several key deals, including long term defence cooperation agreements. Photo: PTI​

India today voiced confidence that its agreement with Russia on a 10-year military and technical cooperation from 2011 would help enhance the operational capability of its defence forces in the next decade.

The agreement which was among the three defence pacts signed between India and Russia after the annual summit talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev provides for acquisition, licensed production, upgrades and modernisation of defence equipment as well as the development of new and advanced weapon systems.

“The agreement would help enhance operational capability of Indian Defence forces in the next decade by providing various Defence equipment systems,” Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told newsmen wrapping up the prime minister’s talks with the Russian leadership that also included prime minister Vladimir Putin, who as the earlier Russian President sowed the seeds for Russia’s strategic partnership with India.

“it will also facilitate capacity development of the Indian Defence Industry,” she said.

Taking bilateral defence ties to a new high, the agreement on After Sales Support for the Russian Arms and Military equipment supplied to India is being seen by Indian officials as an excercise to facilitate timely and adequate supply of spares and services for maintaining a high level of readiness and integrated maintenance of Russian made military equipment supplied to India.

Ms. Rao noted that Indian and Russian leaders have focussed on priority areas of bilateral partnership and how the two countries intend to take this forward through intensive efforts in the coming months ahead.

At the India-Russia CEO’s Council meeting last night, Rao said the Russian co-chair of the council Vladimir Evtushenkov spoke of the prospects for cooperation in the field of telecommunications.

The potential for collaboration in the pharmaceutical industry was also stressed at the meeting, she said.

The prime Minister at a news conference yesterday underscored how India could help in supplying affordable drugs to Russia because of the excellent know-how it had in this field.

Both Singh and Medvedev spoke of the potential for India and Russia to forge ties in the pharmaceutical industry.

The Indian co-chair Mukesh Ambani spoke of the opportunities for Russian participation in the infrastructure development sector and cooperation in pharmaceuticals, including joint development of new technologies in the Health sector, as also telecommunications.