Hinting at the clinching of a deal for setting up of two more reactors in the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project during his visit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed confidence that it would be “finalised shortly”.
Asserting that cooperation in nuclear energy production will continue between the two countries, he has also offered Russia an additional site in West Bengal for location of a reactor in case the originally proposed site in Haripur was not found feasible.
“Indian and Russian companies have been holding negotiations on finalising arrangements for Kudankulam Units 3 and 4 and I am confident that these contracts would be finalised shortly,” Dr. Singh told the Russian media ahead of his two-day visit to Moscow beginning on Sunday.
Hectic negotiations are on between the two sides on clinching a deal on the two new reactors in Kudankulam against the backdrop of the Russian concerns over the civil liability issues arising out of the nuclear liability law in India.
Russia is opposed to liability provisions claiming it has an inter-governmental agreement on Kudankulam, which precedes the law.
India has suggested some parameters that will govern the liability issues on Kudankulam and has asked the state-owned insurer General Insurance Corporation (GIC) to work on an insurance policy that will also lay down guidelines of liability for suppliers equipment.
Officials are confident that the deal would be signed between the companies of the two countries during the visit.
Dr. Singh said India remained interested in expanding nuclear power production in cooperation with Russia and was committed to the full implementation of the Roadmap signed during the visit of President Putin to Indian in March, 2010.
