India keen on a Cepa with Russian Customs Union

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday left for India after major breakthrough in bilateral relations with Russia on opening the Kudankulam nuclear power plant and expediting work on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the Customs Union comprising Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. India has already decided to set up a joint study group in this regard.

Singh left Moscow after concluding a three-day visit during which he attended the 12th annual Indo-Russian summit and witnessed inking of five agreements, including one for technical assistance in joint production of 42 more frontline Sukhoi-MKI 30 jets.

Singh, who held talks with President Dmitry Medvedev, cleared the uncertainty over the Kudankulam nuclear power project and said the plant, whose commissioning has been stalled due to protests, cannot be allowed to remain "idle" when the nation has sunk an amount of Rs 14,000 crore on the project. Talking to reporters on board his the special aircraft, he said there was a growing view, which he also shared, that the agitation against the Russian-aided project has been "overdone".

Expressing confidence that ultimately good sense would prevail among those concerned over safety issues for operationalising the plant, he said government has gone out of its way to assure as much as it can that the 1,000 Mw nuclear reactors each that have been put in place in Tirunelveli district are the "safest available" in the world. "It is my sincere hope that Tamil Nadu which is short of power supply will recognise that there is a plant of 2,000 Mw set up at cost to the nation of Rs 14,000 crore, we cannot simply let it idle," he said.

Sukhoi deal
During Singh’s three-day visit, the two countries signed a crucial agreement for technical assistance in joint production of 42 more frontline Sukhoi-MKI 30 jets, which was among the five pacts initialled in the presence of Singh and Medvedev besides a joint statement on Indo-Russian strategic partnership.

Russia also backed India's bid for a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council as well as its aspirations to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Singh welcomed Moscow's entry to the WTO.

Gorshkov delivery issue
Singh also raised with Russia the issue of delay in the delivery of Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier to the Indian navy, saying it was important for India that the ship arrives in time. The issue was raised during the 12th Indo-Russian Summit talks.