New Delhi: Stepping up civil nuclear cooperation with India, Russia today (Jan 26,2007) agreed to build four atomic reactors in Tamil Nadu and more at yet-to-be-identified sites under landmark agreements reached on the first day of President Vladimir Putin's visit here.

Reflecting the signifiance of the relationship, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh broke protocol to receive Putin at the airport after which they held talks and agreed to take their relations to 'new heights' in all other areas particularly civil nuclear, defence, trade, space and science and technology.

Two joint statements were issued and eight accords signed by the two sides, including one on cooperation on sharing of data from Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) and jointly launch a 'YOUTHSAT'.

"India and Russia express their willingness to further expand and strengthen their bilateral civilian nuclear energy cooperation by broadbasing cooperation covering both power (fission and fusion energy) and non-power application in areas of mutual interest to be identified by both sides," a joint statement said.

Russia, which had been providing technology and fuel for the 2x1000 MWe rpt MWe nuclear reactors in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu before it joined the IAEA, assured India of working with other countries of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to take up India's case for expansion of civilian nuclear energy cooperation.

A joint statement adopted by the two leaders said India gave an undertaking that the reactor facilities and fuel supplied by Russia shall remain under the IAEA safeguards.