Russia to build more N-reactors in India

Russia on Tuesday said it may build more nuclear power reactors in India, although there were international curbs on the scale of nuclear cooperation between the two countries, official sources said.

Kremlin's foreign policy aide Sergei Prikhodko was briefing reporters in Moscow on Monday's meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

He noted that India's growing energy requirements for its sustained economic development and Delhi's interest in Russian involvement in the development of nuclear projects as part of Indian energy security efforts.

Russia is currently helping build 2000MW Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu, which is scheduled to be commissioned in 2007.

The final agreement on Kudankulam was signed in June 1998. Russia is supplying two 1000VVER-type light water reactors under the Kudankulam deal inked in 1985 by former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev.

After the Soviet collapse the deal was revived despite strong US opposition when Moscow insisted that it's joining Nuclear Suppliers Group in early 1990s has no retrospective implications.

Prikhodko conceded that 'there are certain issues involving Russia's commitments to NSG' and the scale of cooperation depends on the NSG guidelines.

"There are opportunities for further progress, though," he added.