Energy tops Indo-Russian priority list

The array of agreements signed last week during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India indicates that while India might have warmed significantly to the United States over the past decade and dramatically since his last visit to the subcontinent, the India-Russia relationship hasn’t cooled either.

Nine agreements in areas ranging from energy and space to business and culture were signed during Putin’s fourth visit since he became president in 2000. Defense was at the core of the

India-Russia strategic relationship for decades. Energy security appears to have become a top priority.
India and Russia have signed a “memorandum of intent” on cooperation over civilian nuclear energy under which Moscow has promised to build four more reactors in Kudankulam in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and additional reactors at other sites in India. Russia is currently helping to build two units at Kudankulam.

This Russian commitment has come even as India and the US are negotiating the details of a bilateral agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation and changes to the guidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to enable the export of nuclear technology and systems to India.

Asia Times