Kudankulam units 3, 4 may be signed during Manmohan Singh's Moscow visit

Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh on Friday said that New Delhi was hopeful of the conclusion of contracts related to the third and fourth nuclear units at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant during Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's visit to Moscow next week.

"Our (Russia and India) companies are in discussion on Kudankulam 3 and 4. We hope to conclude specific contracts in the near future. The companies are discussing issues- technical, legal and financial," she said while briefing the media on the upcoming five day visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Russia and China starting October 20.

Manmohan Singh would be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 21 for robust discussions to boost the strategic relationship between the two countries.

"We expect a few agreements to be signed in diverse areas such as science and technology, energy efficiency and standards," Sujatha Singh added.

The Kudankulam plant is the country's biggest nuclear power project and is designed to help meet the rising demand for electricity in the country.

This project was delayed because of repeated protests and agitations by the locals over safety issues. The Supreme Court gave a green signal to this project in May. Tamil Nadu is expected to receive 400 MW from the plant during the initial production to tackle the problem of power deficit in the state.

Following his trip to Russia, Manmohan Singh would also visit Beijing on October 23.

Dr. Singh would hold talks with his counterpart Li Keqiang and President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

"Maintenance of peace and tranquility and stability on our border is an important factor in our (India and China) bilateral ties and it is expected that this would be an important aspect of the discussions as it is also the fundamental basis on which the rest of our bilateral relationship can proceed and grow," Sujatha Singh added.