India-Russia Nuclear Deal
India-Russia Nuclear Deal
Russian President Medvedev signed a nuclear deal with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in September 2008. The deal followed the landmark Indo- U.S nuclear deal that was signed earlier in the year, after the Nuclear Suppliers Group lifted a ban that had prohibited India from getting access to the global nuclear market. Since the ban has been lifted, there has been increasing competition to build nuclear power plants in India as India is looking to increase its energy supply to sustain long term economic growth. Russia is the third country to have signed a nuclear deal with India, the second country being France. The nuclear deal with Russia was part of a series of deals, including deals on defence and space sales. The deal authorised Russia to build four nuclear energy reactors at Kudankulam in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The civil nuclear pact provides for uninterrupted uranium fuel supplies from Russia even in the event of termination of bilateral ties in this field for any reason. The pact also has provisions for transfer of enrichment and nuclear technology, which is denied in the 123 agreement with the US. The nuclear agreement opened the way for greater cooperation between Russia and India.
