PRESS RELEASE
Modi’s Visit to Russia Will Focus on Signing Agreements on Six More Nuclear Power Plants and Various Military Hardware
Dec. 22, 2015 (EIRNS)—Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day (Dec. 24-25) state visit to Russia is expected to be among the most productive in recent years, Kommersant said today. "This visit promises to be the most productive in the last decade. We are talking here about the work on deepening of the privileged strategic partnership between the two countries in the most sensitive fields in particular, the nuclear sector and the military-technical sphere,"the Russian Ambassador to India, Alexander Kadakin, told Kommersant.
On the agenda is Modi’s naming of the site for another six 1,000-Megawatt VVER Russia-supplied nuclear power plants. These plants will be located in the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh. Russia has already the site for the first six nuclear plants at Koodankulam in the state of Tamil Nadu. President Putin has offered India 20 such plants. India will have to determine locations for 8 more plants.
Kommersant noted also on the agenda is India’s purchase agreement for two diesel-electric submarines of the Project 636, the Varshavyanka class, 48 Mi-17V5 military transport helicopters, and 4 improved Krivak- or Talwar-class stealth frigates with Russia, The Hindu reported today, citing unnamed official sources. The whole military-technical package could cost as much as $10 billion.
On the eve of the Prime Minister’s trip, India’s Defense Acquisitions approved the allocation of funds for the purchase of Russian S-400 Triumph air-defense missile systems (ADMS). India may buy at least five batteries of the S-400s, becoming the second foreign customer of these systems after China. However, it is unlikely that the purchase agreement for the S-400 air-defense system will be concluded during Modi’s two-day trip.
In addition, an extensive counter-terror cooperation arrangement is expected to be put in place during Modi’s visit to Moscow, the Economic Times reported today. Delhi and Moscow have been building on a counter-terror cooperation away from the public glare and the mechanism to boost intelligence sharing and training of personnel in counter-terrorism and enhancing capacity building to fight the growing menace will be on the agenda for the Prime Minister’s trip to Russia for the annual summit this week, the Economic Times reported, according to unnamed official sources.
