NEW DELHI, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- In terms of civilian nuclear energy, New Delhi is one of the best partners the Kremlin has, Russia's deputy prime minister said at an investment conference.
New Delhi and Moscow have strong bilateral trade mechanisms in the aerospace, defense and nuclear energy sectors. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said during a bilateral trade forum in India that New Delhi was one of Moscow's best customers, Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti reports.
"We consider India one of our main customers in the field of peaceful nuclear energy in the short and long term," he was quoted as saying.
Both sides during the conference discussed construction of a nuclear power plant in southern India. Officials at Russia's state nuclear power company Rosatom said New Delhi was ready to provide Russia with land in India for as many as 18 nuclear reactors.
Meanwhile, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in India for the start of a two-day visit Tuesday. Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko and his Indian counterpart Murli Deora kicked off the visit by signing a bilateral agreement to develop cooperation in the oil and natural gas sectors, the state news agency added.
Russian gas monopoly Gazprom has expressed its interest in working with India on a major gas pipeline from Turkmenistan.
