NEW DELHI: The agreement for four additional reactors to be built by Russia in Tamil Nadu was not signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Moscow in November last because India did not want to antagonize France, a senior Russian official suggested.
Russia, however, is not unhappy with the Indian decision to put off the agreement which is ready to be inked at any "suitable" time which will have to be indicated by New Delhi. Moscow is confident that the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group will grant exemption to India and that even Democrats in the US would also support the initiative when it goes back to the Congress.
"The agreement for four additional reactors at Kudankulam was ready and was supposed to be signed during Prime Minister Singh's visit to Moscow. But it did not happen," a senior Russian official said here.
Prior to the visit, a senior French official said in New Delhi that his country was ready to have civil nuclear cooperation with India on the lines of Indo-US agreement but would have to wait till a nod by NSG and IAEA, the Russian official said.
After this, the Indian side suggested that it would not be proper to sign the agreement for Kudankulam reactors as it could lead to friction with France, the official said. "We understand their position," the official said, adding Russia will "wait and see" when India is ready to sign the pact.
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