India-Russia bond: Pacts for two more nuclear reactors likely

NEW DELHI: Expanding their civil nuclear partnership India and Russia are expected to sign agreements at the upcoming annual bilateral summit for building the fifth and sixth reactors at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project ( KNPP). India is also expected to announce the second site for Russian built nuclear power plant, likely in Andhra Pradesh, during the summit that will be held in Goa on October 15 ahead of BRICS Summit and will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin.

On Tuesday, Russia ’ s Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin, who was on his second visit to India in less than a month, held discussions with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on the general framework agreement for the fifth and sixth reactors. Russia plans to sell as many as 25 reactors to India.

Rogozin and Swaraj also discussed the second site that would be allotted to Russia for the nuclear power plant, people familiar with the matter said.

The two ministers led the 22nd session of the Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific , Technological and Cultural Cooperation to prepare for the annual summit held alternatively in India and Russia.