India keen on Russian help in nuclear waste disposal: Putin

Seeking to expand civil nuclear cooperation with India, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin today said India was keen on getting Russian help to dispose of nuclear waste.

Seeking to expand civil nuclear cooperation with India, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday said India was keen on getting Russian help to dispose of nuclear waste.

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"Our (India and Russia) cooperation is in construction and building of nuclear reactors, supply of nuclear fuel," Putin said in a videoconference with businessmen from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore.

"India has expressed interest for help in disposal of nuclear waste," he said.

Putin also focused on upgrading security of nuclear plants. Alluding to the 1986 nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, he said upgrading and increasing the safety features in nuclear power plants were key elements of Russian technology it would provide India.

India and Russia are expected to sign an umbrella civil nuclear agreement Friday night after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Putin.

Putin arrived in the Indian capital on Thursday night on a 22-hour visit.

Russia is helping India build two atomic reactors in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu and plans to add another four units at the same site. India has allocated another site for Russian nuclear reactors at Haripur in West Bengal.