Posted on 01/25/2007 7:55:29 AM PST by IrishMike
NEW DELHI: President Vladimir Putin of Russia offered to build four new nuclear reactors for India on Thursday, cementing his country's traditional role as India's main nuclear benefactor.
A memorandum of understanding on the plants was signed by the heads of the Russian and Indian nuclear agencies after a meeting between Putin and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India.
Putin arrived in India on Thursday, hoping to use the two nations' friendship to push for deals in civilian nuclear cooperation, military hardware and trade expansion between the booming economies.
Russia has been eager to reassert its traditional role as the chief supplier of nuclear technology and know-how to India in the wake of a landmark civilian nuclear cooperation deal between New Delhi and Washington last year that appeared to give U.S. companies a strong position in India's nuclear market.
Russia is currently helping India build two 1,000-megawatt nuclear reactors in the southern town of Kudankulam.
The document said that the four new reactors would be built at Kudankulam and at other sites, but did not outline a timetable or other specifics.
Russia has in the past stood by India, supplying it with reactors and fuel even as it was denied Western technology for its refusal to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Speaking after their meeting, Singh thanked Russia for its support "in lifting international restrictions on nuclear cooperation and assisting India in the expansion of our nuclear energy program," and said nuclear energy was emerging as the most important aspect of India and Russia's "strategic partnership."
Energy cooperation is vital for India, which has struggled to supply power to an economy that has grown at more than 8 percent a year recently. Despite India's rapid recent development, power cuts remain frequent across the country.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
The Chinese are also getting reactors from Russia.
And what makes you club India alongside rogue states like Iran and Iraq? Whats your point?
The Chinese are also getting reactors from Russia.
I bet in your book its a lot better for US to sell weapons to a failed terrorist state like Pakistan then for Russia to sell nuclear reactors to India.
Cold War... still going.
That doesn't even look like a nuclear plant, at least not what we're used to seeing in the U.S. I guess the Russian Homer Simpson struck.
Maybe that's one of the side effects.
Yep.
And we shouldn't be selling anyone any nuke plants right now.
Why? India is already a "nuclear club" member.
Not a problem as long as Russia sells to India.
US can always sell to Pakistan.
According to some here India is in the same club as Iran and Iraq.
Maybe, but I hope the US is making large overtures to India under the table. In the coming conflicts with China, we'll need a highly populous partner and ally... and England's former colonies tend to do really well when they stick together in a tussle.
There were three competitors to build the series of reactors for China (Westinghouse, Framatome and a Russian design). Westinghouse won. The Russian design was never considered a serious possibility, despite allegedly low-balling the price.
Also, about a month ago, the US and India signed an agreement that significantly opened up the ability of the United States to sell civilian nuclear reactors to India.
Putin knows that selling nuclear plants is going to be big business, but he has a crappy product.
As a salesman, he has to offer deals.
Ermmm... Oil. Natural Gas. Metals. In *massive* quantities.
High tech weaponry that they can't afford to buy for their own military, really. He's selling it because he can, and, because it pisses us off. They're still a bit peeved about that loss of their empire not 15 years back.
Exactly! Who says the Russians are stupid ? They never were and never will be. They play a hard core geopolitical game.
That was an accident. And... they were all poor and didn't run fast enough.
I almost feel sympathetic to Putin. With his attempts to sell anything to anyone for money. I said, almost.
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