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Medvedev Feeds India with Nuclear Power
Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in India yesterday. It is his first visit to India in president’s capacity and the general environment of the event isn’t particularly advantageous. Given the stagnant bilateral trade and increasing difficulties in military and technological cooperation, the chance is that India’s turn to the United States will lower the extent of political trust of Moscow and Delhi that forms the basis of bilateral partnership.
Starting from 2000, Russia’s and Indian leaders annually meet at the end of the year either in Delhi or in Moscow. The agenda of each summit always sets forth signing a package of documents related to political, economic and military and technological cooperation. All these deals are to manifest positive dynamics of the country’s strategic partnership.
This time, the plans are to sign seven documents, including related to the nuclear and space cooperation and the joint declaration of Russia’s and Indian leaders. The highlight of the package is evidently the agreement to build additional power unites at Kudankulam nuclear power plant, where the construction of two Russia’s reactors, 1MW each, nears the end. The new agreement provides for the construction of four more reactors to reach the overall capacity of 6MW.
Moscow’s expansion on India’s nuclear market is ongoing despite the end of Russia’s atom monopoly there. The U.S. Congress has recently approved a nuclear agreement with India and lifted the ban on the nuclear cooperation with it. So, Russia will have to withstand competition of the United States and France, which plans in India are very ambitions.
Meanwhile, the nuclear agreement will be nearly the sole notable result of Medvedev’s tour to India that happens in time of the stagnant bilateral trade and increasing difficulties in once the unshakable military and technical cooperation. According to Medvedev, Russia’s trading turnover with India exceeded $5 billion in 2007 and will reach $7 billion this year. At the same time, India has the $100-billion turnover with the United States and $40 billion with China.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Dec. 05, 2008
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