India, Russia to conclude deal on two Kudankulum reactors

India and Russia Wednesday agreed to conclude at an early date the general framework agreement on reactors 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam nuclear power project in Tamil Nadu, official sources said.

The "general agreement" concerning the reactors was reached during the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission meeting chaired by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin in Delhi.

The meeting also focused on nuclear, space, energy and economic cooperation.

Sources said the meeting "positively assessed" the progress made in the Kudankulam nuclear power plant which was rapidly achieving full capacity.

The two sides hoped that the nuclear power plant will achieve its full capacity by April-May.

They also reviewed the rapid progress made on completion of the Kudankulam 2 reactor and hoped that it would be connected to the power grid before the end of the year.

Sources said the discussions also encompassed possibilities of cooperating on space applications, including use of GLONASS, a global navigation satellite system, for tracking navigation of heavy trucks and other services.

The two sides discussed the possibility of Russia being the partner in the India International Trade Fair in 2015 and agreed that the India Trade Show to be held in Moscow in September this year would be an appropriate opportunity for major tie-ups for businesses of both sides.

The possibility of export of Indian bovine meat to Russia was also an item of discussion, the sources said.