India and Russia on Monday signed a path-breaking broad-based agreement in civil nuclear field that will ensure transfer of technology and uninterrupted uranium fuel supplies to its nuclear reactors and inked three pacts in the defence sector.
The agreements were signed after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the Kremlin here, during which they discussed a whole range of issues, including terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.
"Today we have signed an agreement that broadens the reach of our cooperation beyond supplies of nuclear reactors to areas of research and development and a whole range of areas in nuclear energy," Singh told a joint press conference with Medvedev.
The Prime Minister said the agreement will deepen and strengthen the already existing nuclear cooperation between the two countries under which four new nuclear reactors would be set up by Russia in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu and a site for the fifth one has been identified in West Bengal.
The new civil nuclear pact provides for uninterrupted uranium fuel supplies from Russia even in the event of termination of bilateral ties in this field for any reason. The Indo-Russian pact on atomic cooperation is a significant document and goes much further than the 123 agreement between India and the US, officials said.
The pact also has provisions for transfer of enrichment and nuclear technology, which is denied in the 123 agreement with the US. Medvedev said the nuclear agreement opens the way for greater cooperation beyond Kudankulam. "The nuclear cooperation between the two countries have a very good future. We are satisfied with the cooperation and I hope today's agreement will pave the way for greater cooperation in this field in the years to come," he said.
Asked about provision of ENR to India against the backdrop of a G-8 resolution in July this year under which Russia and seven other countries committed that they will refrain from transferring such technology, he said: "Nothing changes for us." PTI
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