This Article is From Dec 17, 2011

Prime Minister signs five agreements, concludes Russia visit

Prime Minister signs five agreements, concludes Russia visit
Moscow: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left here for home on Saturday after concluding a three-day visit during which he attended the 12th annual Indo-Russian summit and witnessed the inking of five agreements, including one for technical assistance in joint production of 42 more frontline Sukhoi-MKI 30 jets.
    
The Prime Minister, who held talks with President Dmitry Medvedev, cleared the uncertainty over the Kudankulam nuclear power project yesterday and said the first unit of the protest-hit plant will be operationalised in a "couple of weeks." However, India and Russia did not sign any agreement on construction of the third and fourth units.
    
The two countries signed a crucial agreement for technical assistance in joint production of 42 more frontline Sukhoi-MKI 30 jets, which was among the five pacts initialled in the presence of Singh and Medvedev besides a joint statement on Indo-Russian strategic partnership.
    
Russia also backed India's bid for a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council as well as its aspirations to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), while Singh welcomed Moscow's entry to the WTO.
    
Singh congratulated his counterpart Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on the victory of his ruling United Russia party in the December 4 parliamentary polls, during their meeting.
 

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