ID :
110959
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 08:32
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https://oananews.org//node/110959
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Putin to have talks with Indian president, PM, attend Internet conference.
10/3 Tass 401
MOSCOW, March 10 (Itar-Tass) -- Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will
have talks with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on Friday and attend
an Internet conference with Indian entrepreneurs, cultural workers and
members of the Golos Rossii (Voice of Russia) radio Listeners' Club in
Mumbai, Calcutta and Bangalore.
"The schedule of the one-day working visit will begin with a
conversation with the country's President Pratibha Patil," government
deputy chief of staff Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday
"After that Putin will attend an Internet conference with members of
the Indian business community, cultural workers and members of the Golos
Rossii (Voice of Russia) radio Listeners' Club in Mumbai, Calcutta and
Bangalore," he said.
"During the discussion the prime minister will answer various
questions that may cover such fields as economy, atomic energy, investment
cooperation, humanitarian ties, scientific and student exchanges," Ushakov
said.
"The Internet conference will be held using the communication
infrastructure created by Systema Shyam Teleservices Ltd. (the main
shareholder is Russia's AFK Sistema) that has been operating on the Indian
telecom market since September 2008. This is the first major cooperation
project for Russian and Indian companies on the Indian telecom market,
involving investments of more than four billion U.S. dollars," Ushakov
said.
After the Internet conference, Putin is scheduled to meet Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss "a wide range of issues concerning
Russian-Indian cooperation, primarily in the trade and economic field," he
said.
Despite the global financial and economic crisis, Russian-Indian trade
has retained positive dynamics and exceeded 7.5 billion U.S. dollars in
2009. "A task has been set to increase it to 10 billion U.S. dollars by
the end of 2010 and to 20 billion U.S. dollars by 2015," Ushakov said.
"Special attention will be given to interaction in high-tech sectors:
nuclear energy, defence industry, and production of telecom equipment," he
said.
Fifteen agreements and contracts to a total tune of more than 10
billion U.S. dollars will be signed during the visit.
"We expect 14-15 agreements and contracts to a total amount of more
than 10 billion U.S. dollars to be signed after the talks," Ushakov said.
These will include a contract for the supply of 29 MiG-29K fighter
planes to India.
"It seems that the contract for the supply of 29 MiGs will be signed,"
Ushakov said.
At the same time, he expressed doubt that an agreement on joint work
on the fifth generation fighter plane would be signed during the visit.
"The goal of signing such a contract was set, but I can't say whether
this will happen or not," Ushakov said, adding, "Maybe not."
Russia and India will also sign an agreement on the construction of
two new units at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in addition to the
existing two. "A part of the documents will be signed after the talks in
the presence of the prime ministers of the two countries, on the sidelines
of the visit," Ushakov said.
The Kudankulam nuclear power plant is a nuclear power station
currently under construction in Kudankulam in the Tirunelvi district of
the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Two 1 GW reactors of the VVER-1000 model are being built by the
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Russia's
Atomstroiexport.
When completed they will become the largest nuclear power generation
complex in India producing a cumulative 2 GW of electric power. Both units
are water-cooled water-moderated power reactors. Six more reactors are to
be added to this plant under a memorandum of intent signed in 2008. Under
an inter-governmental agreement signed in December 2008, Russia will to
supply to India four third-generation VVER-1200 reactors of 1170 MW.
-0-zak/