Russian President Vladimir Putin offered yesterday to build four nuclear reactors for India and give it broader access to Moscow's energy supplies.
Mr Putin, who will be the guest of honour at India's Republic Day celebrations today, met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and officials from the two nations signed several deals on energy, scientific and space cooperation.
"Although there has been a sea change in the international situation during the last decade, Russia remains indispensable to India's foreign policy interests," Mr Singh said afterward.
Rusian and India's close ties during the Cold War - when Moscow was the principal arms supplier to New Delhi - waned after the Soviet Union collapsed and India opened its markets to the rest of the world. The nonmilitary trade has slackened, but the two leaders vowed to give it a boost.
"We hope the high level of political trust should be converted into economic opportunity. We hope to harmonise the political and economic aspects of our relationship," Mr Putin said.
Russia has been eager to reassert its traditional role as the chief supplier of nuclear technology and know-how to India in the wake of a landmark civilian nuclear co-operation deal between New Delhi and Washington last year that opened the door to US companies' prospective expansion in India's nuclear market.
Russia is building two 1,000-megawatt nuclear reactors in the southern town of Kudankulam, and a memorandum of understanding signed yesterday said that four new reactors would be built but did not outline a timetable or other specifics.
Mr Putin also promised to give India a broader access to Russia's vast hydrocarbon wealth.
AP