Putin assures India of 'uninterrupted shipments' of fuel
What's the story
Russia has assured India of uninterrupted fuel supplies, President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday. The announcement comes as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations. "Russia is a reliable supplier of oil, gas, coal, and everything that is required for the development of India's energy. We are ready to continue uninterrupted shipments of fuel for the growing Indian economy," he said through an official translator.
Trade expansion
Nuclear plant
Putin stated that cooperation is expanding far beyond traditional fuels. He underlined the huge collaborative nuclear power initiative that is currently underway in Tamil Nadu. "We're conducting a flagship project to build the largest Indian nuclear power plant, Kudankulam....Two out of six reactor units have already been connected to the energy network, and four are still under construction. Getting this nuclear power plant to full power output will make an impressive contribution to the energy requirements of India," Putin said.
Others
Connectivity and logistics
He also stated that both nations could also explore "the construction of small modular reactors and floating nuclear power plants, and also non-energy applications of nuclear technologies, for example, in medicine or agriculture." Connectivity and logistics were other important considerations. Putin stated that Russia and India are collaborating to establish new trade channels, saying that their goal is "to build new effective international transport logistic routes to create the INSTC corridor from Russia and Belarus to the Indian Ocean."
Bilateral agreements
Agreements signed to enhance India-Russia cooperation
The announcement of uninterrupted fuel supplies was made along with the signing of several agreements between India and Russia. These agreements cover a wide range of sectors, including fertilizers, food safety, shipping, and maritime logistics. Indian companies have also signed a deal with Russia's URALCHEM to establish a urea plant in Russia, further strengthening industrial collaboration between the two countries.
Diplomatic relations
Modi thanks Putin for commitment to India
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Putin for his "unwavering commitment toward India." He emphasized that "energy security has been a strong and important pillar of the India-Russia partnership." Although he spoke about nuclear power, he did not specifically mention oil in his address. Addressing Putin as "my friend," Modi praised the enduring relationship between New Delhi and Moscow. The summit was held months after the US imposed an additional 25% tariff on India over its purchases of Russian oil.