New Delhi: India and Russia are hoping to finalise the long-pending deal for the third and fourth reactors of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant after months of hectic negotiations on it.
The indications came on a day when ssian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and discussed bilateral issues.
Describing it as a "delicate" issue, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh said "full attention" is being given to the issue. "This is a delicate issue. I would not like to jump the gun by making any announcements before they are actually due. Let me just assure you that it is getting our full attention. We are all focused on it. We hope we will be able to sign the agreement very soon," she said.
Russia, with whose collaboration the Kudankulam nuclear power plant (KNPP) has been set up, is opposed to the project coming under the ambit of the Nuclear Civil Liability Law of India and wants it to be covered under the inter-governmental agreement on the issue. India has tried to assuage Russian concerns by making proposals on the liability limiting it to suppliers default in cases of equipment failure in the event of an accident.
Public sector General Insurance Corporation has been asked to work on details of the quantum of insurance and the premium including for the suppliers.