India and Russia Friday signed an agreement on civil nuclear cooperation as well as pacts covering the areas of defense, space, finance and tourism to elevate their strategic partnership to a higher level, DPA reported. The documents were signed after talks between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Indian capital New Delhi. "The signing of the agreement on civil nuclear cooperation with Russia marks a new milestone in the history of our cooperation with Russia in the field of nuclear energy," Singh told a joint press conference with Medvedev. Under the agreement, Russia will build four new atomic reactors in the Kudankulam nuclear plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Medvedev said. Russia is already building two reactors at the Kudankulam site. The agreement also covers construction of Russian-designed nuclear power plants at new sites in India. The Russian president said the energy sector was a priority for both sides. "In this context, the nuclear energy cooperation is of utmost importance and is very productive (for both sides)," he said.
