India wants energy cooperation with Russia

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday sought greater cooperation from Russia in energy, days after Moscow agreed to sell India uranium the country needs to keep one of its main nuclear power plants going.

Photo: India wants energy cooperation with Russia

Singh said India would also welcome Russia 's help in construction of a pipeline that would bring natural gas from Iran to India through Pakistan .

"I am confident that both countries will utilize opportunities to expand our partnership in civil nuclear energy cooperation," Singh told reporters after daylong talks with visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov.

Singh thanked Fradkov for his government's decision to resume fuel supplies to the Tarapur nuclear facilities in western India , which came despite objections by the United States .

Fradkov, on a two-day trip to New Delhi , earlier defended the sale, saying it is "in the interest of both the countries."

He also said Russia 's decision was within "international frameworks," and did not "contradict international commitments" that apply to fuel sales to countries like India , which haven't signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation treaty, reports the AP.

D.M.