Russia Welcomes India's Decision to Go For More Nuke Energy
NEW DELHI: Russia tonight welcomed NDA government's decision to increase the number of nuclear power plants saying it is the only way to solve India's energy crisis.
"The Indian govt is talking about 22-24 nuclear power units, that is the roadmap, because India has no way out of its energy crisis. It has been calculated that if India by 2030 has all the oil produced in the world, it will not be enough for sustainable developement. Therefore, to solve the energy problem of India, nuclear energy is the only option, just as we did," Russian Ambassador to India Alexander M. Kadakin told reporters here.
Kadakin said the two countries are on the same boat on the issue of maintaining stability in neighbouring Afghanistan post-withdrawal of US forces from there.
"We are on the same boat as you. On the Afghan situation post withdrawal, our vision is absolutely similar. We have a number of channels and mechanism with India where we have very close cordination and co-orporation between national security councils and foreign ministries, between our special agencies on how we can together with India oppose the threat to Afghanistan.
"If Afghanistan is not stable after the withdrawl, then it will have an effect on India and Russia in every possible way--religious extremisim, drug trafficking, murders and all that. Our vision is the same and we shall work jointly to lessen the possible effects of things which might come," he said.
Taking a dig at the "hullabaloo" around ties between India and USA, the Russian Ambassador said "there is zero technology coming from US to India. India is producing the world's best nuclear power project with Russia in Koodankulam. US has not given even a nail to this nuclear site."
He lauded the strategic partnership between India and Russia calling it a "strategic special priviledged partnership and friendship" based on "real facts".
On the Sukhoi/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) or Perspective Multi-role Fighter (PMF), a fifth-generation fighter being developed by India and Russia, he said work is going on as per schedule and there are no complaints about the designing work. "The work is going as per schedule and there are no complaints about the designing work carried out by the Indian and Russian scientists. There were some negotiations on the share of designing work. India has accumulated experience in designing aricraft that is why we were planning to do it 50-50.
But this has to be specified and elaborated on paper," Kadakin said. Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his keeneness to enhance strategic ties with Russia, Kadakin said "he (Modi) is a precise person, result-oriented. He is like Putin. They met in Fortaleza on the sidelines of BRICS summit and have got good chemistry working between them."
The Russian Ambassador said diplomats and important persons from India would be visiting India next month to strengthen the strategic ties between the two nations.
He said Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev would be visiting New Delhi on November 5.
Kadakin, who is fluent in Hindi, encouraged Russian and Indian journalists alike present there to learn the languages to allow "positive" communication. He said the Embassy is making efforts to increase the presence of Russian press in India.
He also expressed concern over "false" news reports causing "distress" between the two countries. The Ambassador mentioned a media report on fault in INS Vikramaditya and clarified the fault was not in the Russian aircraft carrier but the Indian refueler which could not fit in it.