Major plans to increase share of nuke power: PM Wednesday, January 24, 2007 02:08 [IST]
Moscow: Noting that Russian
nuclear technology is internationally competitive, India today said it would like to
expand its cooperation in the field as it has major plans to increase the share
of nuclear power in its energy mix.
Ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India tomorrow, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh told the Russian media that India-Russia strategic partnership
is unique and has no other parallel of two giant nations maintaining steady and
unbroken friendship over decades.
The prime minister also talked about increasing the trade volume and
transforming the nature of economic ties and expressed concern over religious
extremism and terrorism in its neighbourhood.
On the nuclear issue, the Prime Minister expressed India's
interest in expanding nuclear cooperation with Russia, which is presently building
two nuclear power plans in Kudankulam.
"Russian nuclear power technology is internationally competitive. Since we
have major plans to increase the share of nuclear power in our energy mix,
there are concrete opportunities for cooperation in this area. We would also
like this cooperation to expand in years to come," he said.
The Russian President is arriving here tomorrow for the seventh Indo-Russian
summit during which nuclear cooperation between the two countries will be high
on the agenda. A number of bilateral agreements are expected to be signed
during the visit.
Putin in an interview to sources had
said that Russia intends to
help India
directly in the construction of atomic energy facilities for peaceful use. |