Agence France-Presse,
New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed a landmark nuclear deal signed with Russia on Friday as a “milestone in the history of our cooperation” after meeting here with President Dmitry Medvedev.
The allies also finalised an accord that could see New Delhi send a man and eventually its own manned craft into space, with the Indian premier describing ties with Moscow as a “vital anchor of our foreign policy.”
“It is a relationship that has stood the test of time, a relationship based on strong mutual trust,” Singh said alongside Medvedev after the signing ceremonies.
Medvedev praised the agreements as opening a “new page” in relations. He was to leave New Delhi later Friday, earlier than scheduled, to join the mourning for the death of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, his spokeswoman said.
The nuclear deal was the third such agreement India has signed after a decision in September by the Nuclear Suppliers Group to waive its ban on trade of atomic technology with New Delhi.
The United States and France are the other powers to have signed agreements with New Delhi but Russia remains so far the only state actively involved in building reactors in the country.
The nuclear deal will see the building of four new nuclear energy reactors in Kudankulam in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
Moscow is already building two 1,000-megawatt light water reactors at the site. The value of the new deal was not given.
The two sides also signed a memorandum of understanding that envisages Russia sending an Indian cosmonaut into space in 2013 and then launch a manned Indian spacecraft in 2015, the head of Russia's space agency Anatoly Perminov told reporters.
Another deal was signed on the sale to India of 80 military helicopters, which officials said was worth over one billion dollars. The countries also reaffirmed their goal to raise bilateral trade to 10 billion dollars by 2010.
The string of accords underline that ties between Moscow and New Delhi — which date back to the Soviet Union — continue to be strong, despite India's desire to also build relations with the United States.
Medvedev was the first head of state to visit India following Islamic militant attacks on Mumbai a week ago, and he gave a strong pledge of support to India in the anti-terror fight.
“We are ready to work with our Indian colleagues (in the fight against terrorism) and show support in all ways,” he said.
The continued strength of ties between Moscow and New Delhi contrasts with the sometimes prickly relationship between Russia and India's long-time foe Pakistan.
But Russia, which supplies 70 percent of Indian military hardware, has been concerned that its slice of the Indian defence market risks becoming leaner amid disputes over costs and late deliveries.
Medvedev said that the defence relationship between India and Russia “like any cooperation, has problems and perspectives” but he emphasised that there was “no problem that is out of the ordinary.”
He said the sale of Russian T-90 tanks to India and the possible leasing or sale of Russian atomic-powered submarines has been “concretely” discussed in the talks with Singh.
The fact that energy-hungry India has signed cooperation pacts with France and the United States since the nuclear ban was lifted means Russia for the first time faces competition in that market.
“We are not scared of competition. Russian technology can compete,” the head of Russia's nuclear agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, told reporters.
He said it was too early to discuss the possibility of Russia building two more reactors in Kudankulam for a total of eight but said that after Friday's signing, “we can start talks about new agreements.”
