As Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Russia today for an annual summit, many are expecting the signing of an agreement sanctioning the last two units of the Kundankulam nuclear power plant. Both sides are expected to sign a number of other agreements in wide-ranging sectors, including in science and technology, railways, cultural exchanges, and other business areas between private parties too.
If signed, the two units with individual capacity to produce 1000 MW of electricity, will significantly boost India's nuclear power generation. Indian officials said last-minute talks are being conducted with Russian officials to work out the language of the agreement on a line of credit for building Unit 5 and 6 of the nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu. “There is a lot of mutual trust and personal chemistry between the two leaders that has developed over the last three years,” said Pankaj Saran, India's ambassador to Russia. He added that at the summit, “leaders will take stock of the current relationship and discuss a blueprint for a vision of the future.”
Modi is also scheduled to attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum- a first for an Indian PM. He will then be received by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Konstantin Palace, his official residence. The Indian PM began the trip with a visit to the Piskariovskoe cemetery, a memorial for over 500,000 Russians who were killed in the siege of Leningrad in World War II.
He had written an article for Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazetta. He wrote, “We have been together in times- good and bad. India-Russia relations have been the one constant in a world that has changed dramatically since 1947. They have withstood the test of time, and grown from strength to strength. The resilience of our relationship is based on the fact that it rests on the principles of equality, trust, and mutual benefit.”
