PM finds warmth in chilly Moscow

India, Russia reiterate bilateral commitment

MOSCOW: The chill in India-Russia ties has eased up going by the way the Manmohan-Putin summit went on Monday. The two leaders spent more than two hours together, much beyond the scheduled time and sending the rest of the day’s programme haywire. And they were full of bonhomie with the Prime Minister saying “ours is a strategic partnership that has stood the test of time” and President Putin reiterating that “Russia has always been a reliable partner”.

At the eight annual summit, Singh emphasised once again the importance New Delhi gives to relations with Moscow. “Ours is a strategic partnership that has stood the test of time. Through our discussions today we have strengthened our engagement in different areas. I am very satisfied with the results of my visit,’’ Singh said at a joint news conference at the Kremlin with Putin.

Though India and Russia signed four agreements on Monday, there was nothing on the four new reactors for the Russian built Koodankulam power station in Tamil Nadu. “We continued our dialogue on energy. I thanked the President for Russia’s steadfast support in supplementing our nuclear energy programme, and its assistance in lifting international restrictions on nuclear cooperation with India that are still in place.’’

With Atomic Energy Commission chief Anil Kakodkar also accompanying the Prime Minister to Russia, there was a separate meeting him and Serei Kiriyenko his Russian counterpart. Details of the talk between the two are not known.

But the Prime Minister made it very clear that the supply of four new reactors was very much on the cards and the two countries were working towards it. ``It is work in progress.’’  Manmohan Singh said  India and Russia had long cooperated on peaceful use of nuclear energy and that when Putin was in India in January this year, a memorandum of intent on two new reactors was signed. But it was clear that there would be no movement until the Nuclear Suppliers Group waiver was obtained.

On the India-US civil nuclear deal, the Prime Minister said India would go to the IAEA only after his coalition partners back home agreed. Discussions were continuing and the process was on to evolve a consensus. The Prime Minister’s party appeared confident about finally being able to swing the deal.

Putin said Russia had always supported India’s civil nuclear programe. ``India knows Russia has always been a reliable partner, ‘’ the Russian leader told reporters, indicating there was no need to give huge explanations for this. New Delhi could always rely on Moscow. ``Russia has always been a friend of India, ‘’Putin said in reply to another question.

At a time when the UPA’s left allies are charging the government with abandoning India’s traditional independent foreign policy, a successful summit meeting in Moscow will give the signal that New Delhi is in no mood to put all its eggs in the Washington basket.

After the summit, the National Security Advisor MK Narayanan was in a visibly relaxed mood and telling reporters that the meeting between the two leaders had gone off very well. Iran’s stand off with Washington and the sanctions regime were also discussed. So was the situation in Pakistan.

An agreement was signed between India and Russia for an unmanned moon mission. The two sides would work jointly to send a lander and a rover for scientific experiments on the moon. Work has already begun on the project.

Another agreement to jointly develop a multi-role transport aircraft was also signed. The rupee-rouble problem has finally been worked out. General letters of intent on exchange were signed. Another agreement was on cooperation to combat illicit trafficking in narcotics.