'Nothing prevented' atomic power deal: Russia

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Agencies

Posted online: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 02:42:17

Moscow, January 16: Russia has said that 'nothing prevented' it from going ahead with the sale of four reactors to India for Kudankulam atomic power plant within the framework of their current international obligations and was ready to sign the deal whenever it suited New Delhi.

"Nothing prevented Russia and India from signing a four reactor accord within the framework of their international obligations," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said avoiding a question whether it could be signed during Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov's New Delhi visit next month.

The crucial nuclear deal on the construction of four more additional reactors for the nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu was due to be signed in Moscow in November during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Moscow visit.

However, at the last minute it was cancelled apparently due to New Delhi's reluctance to enter a bilateral deal before it got a waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and signed an India-specific safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"We are ready to sign the nuclear agreement any time which suites India," Lavrov said at a New Year reception hosted by him for the foreign press here last night.

Lavrov underscored that Moscow is willing to "go as far as India was willing and ready for" civilian nuclear cooperation and added that it could be done within the framework of its internatioal obligations.

Although starting from the previous Vajpayee government, New Delhi has been pressing Moscow to support India's quest for lifting civilian nuclear technology denial regime by providing additional reactors, the apparent U-turn by the UPA government was seen by Russia as pro-US drift.

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