India thanks Russia for uranium supply plan

Indian officials said visiting Russian Premier Mikhail Fradkov endorsed New Delhi's request for 60 metric tonnes of uranium for two fuel-starved nuclear power reactors in the western town of Tarapur in Maharashtra state.

"I would... like to convey our warm appreciation to the Russian government for responding positively to our request for nuclear fuel supply to Tarapur 1 and 2," Singh said at a joint press conference with Fradkov.

The Indian foreign ministry said the two sides signed seven other agreements including a much-awaited pact between national space agencies of the two countries which will open the door to the launch of Russian navigation satellites by Indian space rockets.

Fradkov's two-day visit came just days after Washington said it opposed Moscow providing the uranium before India honoured its obligations under a landmark nuclear deal it struck with the United States during a visit earlier this month by President George W. Bush.

On Thursday the Russian premier defended Moscow's decision.

"We have served this issue within international framework and it does not contradict international commitments," Fradkov said after flying into New Delhi. "The sale of uranium is in the interest of both the countries."

Singh said New Delhi was desperate to lower its dependence on costly fossil fuel for power generation.

"India envisions a substantial increase in the share of nuclear energy in its overall energy mix... I am confident that both countries will utilise opportunities to expand our partnership in civil nuclear energy cooperation," Singh said.

Neither Singh nor Fradkov mentioned the nuclear agreement between India and the United States at the joint news conference.

The US-India deal, which seeks to lift a decades-old ban on the transfer of nuclear technology to India, still has to be approved by the US Congress and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

The Tarapur plant was built by US company General Electric in the 1960s but Washington halted uranium supplies after New Delhi staged its first nuclear tests in 1974 and refused to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Since then, the two plants have received sporadic supplies from Russia and France.

India says it first approached Washington for fuel for Tarapur but that the request was turned down due to US laws banning transfer of critical material outside the NSG.