India gets a better nuke deal in Russia

New Delhi: India and Russia signed a path breaking nuclear deal on Monday, whichensures uninterrupted fuel supplies even if the agreement isterminated.

It didn't have the pomp and show of his Washington trip, but the PrimeMinister's visit to Moscow has clinched a nuclear deal that officialssay goes way beyond the 123 agreement with the United States. The dealwas inked is for 5 new Russian nuclear reactors in India.

"We have signed an agreement that broadens the reach of our cooperationbeyond supplies of nuclear reactors to areas of research anddevelopment and a whole range of areas in nuclear energy," the PrimeMinister said.

According to the deal:

• The Russian agreement will ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies to itsnuclear reactors, even if the agreement is terminated. Under the USdeal, not only can America stop fuel supplies, it can also take themback.
• The Russian deal gives India the right to reprocess spent fuel, and itdoesn't rule out the transfer of enrichment technology. The 123agreement doesn't have this at all. In fact, India is currentlynegotiating a reprocessing agreement with Washington separately.
  

Three defence agreements were also signed, including an extension ofthe military cooperation programme for another 10 years. But there'sbeen no breakthrough in the logjam over the protracted bargaining overthe Gorshkov aircraft carrier.