Deora cancels Moscow visit

Petroleum Minister Murli Deora has cancelled his Russia visit to attend an annual international energy forum.

Deora's cancellation of his visit during which he was to attend the Moscow International Energy Week, a global forum of investors and consumers of hydrocarbons, comes on top of a controversy surrounding two other ministerial visits recently.

The petroleum minister, who was to hold high-level talks with senior Russian officials of oil and gas majors this week, cancelled the visit after meetings with his Russian counterpart did not materialise, sources said.

His visit was seen as significant ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit here next month during which the energy co-operation is said to be high on the bilateral agenda.

Although officially no reason was given for the cancellation, it was apparently prompted by the cold reception accorded to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K Antony during their visits here earlier this month.