All news

Russia, India discuss joint NPP projects in third countries — deputy PM

The sides also discussed further joint work on the construction of new power units in India

NEW DELHI, September 13. /TASS/. Russia and India are looking at developing joint projects for the construction of nuclear plants in third countries, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Tuesday.

"Russia and India are discussing a possibility of joint entry to the energy market, including the electricity market, and of joint entry to the markets of third countries with nuclear plant construction projects in future," he told journalists after a meeting of the Russian-Indian intergovernmental commission on trade-and-economic cooperation.

Apart from that, according to Rogozin, the sides are also discussing further joint work on the construction of new power units in India, with an eye of building more than ten power units in that country by 2020.

"Russia continues to develop a series of the world’s safest nuclear plants," the Russian deputy prime minister said. "Currently in focus are the problem of prices, the problem of the construction site and problems of geology. But these are technicalities."

Science and new technologies

According to Rogozin, India and Russia are looking at setting up a joint organization for the development of contacts in the sphere of science and new technologies.

"We are also discussing closer ties in such sphere as science and new technologies. Indian colleagues have serious developers in the IT technologies sector, we have what Indian colleagues need," he told journalists after a meeting of the Russian-Indian intergovernmental commission on trade-and-economic cooperation.

"It is quite probable we can set up a joint organization on science and technologies that will be tasks to promote cooperation between academic institutions in the area of defense, dual and civil technologies," he added.

Arctic cooperation

Rogozin said India may take part in the development of the Arctic shelf along with Russia and China.

"There are definitely interesting projects in the sphere of shelf development and as we establish a joint instrument for the development of the Arctic shelf we plan to invite there not only Chinese but also Indian partners," he told journalists after talks of the Russian-Indian intergovernmental commission on trade-and-economic cooperation.

Apart from that that, he said there is a possibility of joint use of the Northern Sea Route.

According to the Russian deputy prime minister, India is interested in establishing an international transport corridor North-South, from Russia’s St. Petersburg to India’s Mumbai, to ship cargoes, commodity and passengers between the Baltic countries and India. "The transport corridor is an extremely interesting thing, and I think it has good chances to be realized," Rogozin stressed.