Putin gets $4.5b bag of goodies
Russia on Monday bagged two crucial defence deals — acquisition of 42 more Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft and 71 Mi-17 V5 armed helicopters by India — worth about $4.5 billion (about `25,000 crore).
The deals were inked between the two countries during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin, even as India said that the development of its nuclear energy programme was a key pillar of the IndoRussian strategic partnership. Power generation from the first unit of the Kudankulam nuclear power project in Tamil Nadu would commence shortly.
Despite the recent controversy over protests by locals against the Kudankulam project, India made it clear that it would continue to implement the “road map” for cooperation in the nuclear energy sector.
India and Russia have vowed to incorporate the best technology in construction of nuclear power plants with a view of ensuring and maintaining the highest safety standards, sources said on Monday.
The Russians are understood to have raised concerns over the fact that Russian telecom company Sistema had earlier lost its 2G licence in India. Sistema had invested over $3 billion and this has left the Russians worried.
In all, 10 pacts in various spheres, such as defence, science and technology, cultural exchanges, satellitebased navigation, software, and direct investment, were inked.
The venue of the meeting between the two leaders was shifted at the last minute from Hyderabad House (near India Gate) to 7 Race Course Road, (the official residence of the Prime Minister) in view of the large-scale protests during the weekend after the gangrape incident and heavy barricading around India Gate.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Putin also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and “agreed to work together” against the threat of extremism there.
Welcoming President Putin, Dr Singh said, “The development of our nuclear energy programme has been a key pillar of our strategic partnership. Construction of Unit 1 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project is now complete, and power generation will commence shortly. India appreciates the support extended by Russian engineers and scientists in this project. We look forward to the completion of Unit 2 next year.”
Dr Singh added, “Negotiations for the construction of Units 3 and 4 at Kudankulam have made good progress. We intend to continue implementing the roadmap for cooperation in nuclear energy that was signed during Mr Putin’s visit in 2010 as the then Prime Minister of Russia.”