Backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assurance that Moscow will help India in building its civilian nuclear energy capabilities, experts on both sides sat across the table soon after Putin and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held a lengthy meeting to discuss India’s future requirements, including fuel for Tarapur. It’s learnt that Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar and head of Russia’s Federal Atomic Energy Agency Sergei Kiriyenko held long talks separately this evening after Putin and Singh agreed to look at expanding the scope of civilian nuclear cooperation. India said it was open to look at more reactors in future from Russia and was keen on cooperation that went beyond Koodankulam. The efforts being made on the Indian side to separate its civilian and military reactors also came up and it was pointed out that obtaining fuel for Tarapur was not contingent on India separating its facilities. The Russian President took note of India’s efforts to ‘‘build relations’’ with the members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and expressed hope that it would be able to ‘‘participate and contribute’’ to India’s ‘‘huge and ambitious plans’’ in this sector. ‘‘We will work to ensure that India could cope with the tasks and goals it has set in the use of peaceful nuclear energy,’’ said Putin after his talks with Singh. This is important also because Russia will be taking over as chair of the NSG in July and its cooperation will be vital when the group looks at easing norms for India. The US, according to the July 18 joint statement, is committed to working with NSG partners to enable full civilian nuclear cooperation with India. Given the current momentum, sources said, India asked Russia to take the lead in expanding cooperation in this crucial sector. The point was stressed by the PM in his 75-minute meeting with Putin where the two leaders discussed prospects of taking this cooperation forward as India would be needing more reactors in future given its plans to increase nuclear energy production. This links up with Russia’s own plans to streamline its nuclear energy sector. Kiriyenko was, in fact, recently appointed for the purpose of initiating reforms. He has been entrusted with the task to ensure a systematic separation of civilian and military nuclear reactors and then build up Russian potential for nuclear exports. Russia itself has been under pressure after the joining the NSG to carry out proper separation of its reactors. In this backdrop, the Kakodkar-Kiriyenko meeting today is important to understand where both countries stand now to take matters forward. But it is clear that Moscow does not want to lose the opportunity of supplying reactors to India though at the same time it is careful not to annoy the NSG. Much of the discussions on the subject, sources said, are being kept under wraps precisely to ensure that there is no undue pressure on both sides, particularly in the case of fuel for Tarapur. Though this is not linked to fulfilling other obligations made in the Indo-US nuclear deal, Washington feels any concrete movement on the issue may not be ideal before it approaches the US Congress with legislation. On the Iran nuclear issue, both sides noted their similarity of views on the subject which is to resolve it within the aegis of the IAEA. Putin made it clear that possibilities within the IAEA had ‘‘not been exhausted’’, but at the same time felt Iran must comply with all its obligations including those made voluntarily. India to join Russia’s answer to GPS MOSCOW: An agreement on Indian participation in the Russian Global Navigational Satellite System, an alternative to the US Global Positioning System was signed today. Currently, the two sides have only framed the ground rules for the technology and equipment that may be shared for the project. More contentious issues like joint control are still to be finalized.
