Russia to build 4 reactors

Bid to keep up in nuclear deals race.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's break with protocol to personally receive President Vladimir Putin at the airport was rewarded when Russia agreed to build four new nuclear reactors at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu, and other yet-to-be-identified locations in the country.

This was one of the nine agreements signed between India and Russia today. Putin is on a visit to India as a special invitee to the Republic Day celebrations.

"Energy security is the most important emerging dimension of our strategic partnership," Singh told a joint news conference.

The two countries also signed a joint statement on civilian nuclear cooperation. Russia also assured India that it would work with other countries of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group to "create conditions through amendment to its guidelines for facilitating expansion of civilian nuclear energy cooperation with India."

Sources in the Atomic Energy Commission said today's agreement would help develop Kudankulam as an Atomic Energy Park with more reactors for power generation.

The deal signalled that Moscow is not willing to be left behind in the race to win lucrative nuclear contracts with India. It comes a month after US President George Bush signed laws effectively ending a ban on civilian nuclear trade with India.

Among the other key agreements were two on Indian access to global navigation signals of the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System for peaceful purposes and its radio frequency spectrum.

An agreement between Indian Space Research Organisation and the Federal Space agency on developing a joint satellite called YouthSat for beaming into universities was also signed.

Both sides further agreed to raise bilateral trade from $3 billion now to $10 billion by 2010.

A protocol agreement was signed between the Central Board of Excise and Customs, India, and the Federal Customs Service of Russia over sharing of information on the movement of goods between the two countries.

A cooperation agreement on titanium production between Saraf Agency Private Ltd and Vneshekonom Bank of Russia and joint stock company Technocim Holding was also signed.