Prime Minister Manmohan Singh heads for a two-nation trip — to Russia and China — beginning October 20. A number of agreements are expected to be signed during the trip which will take the PM first to Russia and then China. In Russia, the two sides are expected discuss such areas as nuclear cooperation, defence and trade.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh heads for a two-nation trip — to Russia and China — beginning October 20. A number of agreements are expected to be signed during the trip which will take the PM first to Russia and then China. In Russia, the two sides are expected discuss such areas as nuclear cooperation, defence and trade. During his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the PM is expected to assure him on concerns over India’s nuclear liability law and also on the safety of Russian investments including in the telecom sector. For now, there are indications that India and Russia have made progress to clear the nuclear liability issue, crucial for a contract for supply of Russian reactors for Units 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP). Another crucial issue expected to be discussed would be Russia’s investment in the telecom sector. Russian major Sistema recently expressed its unhappiness over Trai’s recommendations on spectrum auction, saying it created “ambiguity” and “policy uncertainty” that would adversely impact its investment plans. The PM will then fly to Beijing from Moscow on October 22 where the two sides are expected to ink the Border Defence Security Agreement (BDCA). India is expected to raise the issue of trans-boundary rivers, concerned as it has been over moves by China to build dams on them which it fears will reduce the flow to lower riparian regions. India has been particularly concerned about Chinese plans to construct dams on that part of the Brahmaputra (Tsang Po) which flows through their territory.
