Number of documents were concluded during Putin's visit: Pranab

New Delhi, Mar 7 (UNI) External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today informed the Lok Sabha that a number of bilateral documents were concluded during the recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India.

During Question Hour, he said however no agreement was signed on the setting up of nuclear power plants. Discussions were held on the construction off additional nuclear power plants at the Kudankulam site as well as at new sites and a memorandum of Intent to this effect was signed, he informed.

He said a joint statement by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the President of the Russian Federation on Cooperation in the field of Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy was issued on January 25 this year. The joint statement outlines plans for cooperation with the Russian Federation in the area of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, he added.

He said the joint statement includes the outcome of the official visit of the Russian President to India, programme of cultural exchanges for the year 2007-09, protocol on holding ' year of Russia in India' in the year 2008 and the 'year of India in Russia' in the year 2009. Agreement were also signed on access of the Indian party to navigation signals of the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System GLONASS for peaceful purposes, on access of the Indian party to a part of the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System GLONASS Radio Frequency Spectrum, on cooperation in the joint satellite project ' Youthsat' and protocol on exchange of information on the movement of goods and conveyances between India and the Russian Federation.

Mr Mukherjee said the Memorandum of Intent on nuclear programme envisages construction of four additional nuclear power plant units at the Kudankulam site as well as construction of Russian design nuclear power plants at new sites in India. No other details regarding the number of sites for new nuclear power plants and a possible timeframe had emerged so far, he added.

He said Russia is collaborating with India in the construction of two units of 1000 Mega Watts (MW) capacity nuclear reactors at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu. Russia is supportive of wider cooperation with India in the area of peaceful uses of nuclear energy and recognises that nuclear energy provides a safe, environmental friendly and a sustainable source of energy, he added.

Russia and India have jointly underlined the need to further develop international cooperation in promoting the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in accordance with their respective international commitments and national legislation, he informed.

He said Russia, specifically, expects to continue working with the participating governments of Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) to make an exception in its guidelines to facilitate full civilian energy cooperation with India.

UNI