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Russia will continue to sell conventional weapons, N-reactors to India

Russia will make new proposals to sell conventional weapons to India, one of its biggest arms clients, including some from the stocks of the Russian armed forces, a news agency has reported.

First Deputy Defence Minister Nikolai Mikhailov said the two countries will also consider joint scientific research on arms for ground forces, Interfax said.

Mikhailov provided this information after his meeting with Indian Defence Secretary Ajit Kumar.

Meanwhile, Russian Atomic Energy Minister Yevgeny Adamov left Moscow last night on a visit to India and China, where he is to discuss co-operation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Despite the recent international uproar over the recent nuclear tests in India, Russia will not scrap plans to build power plants in the country, Adamov said recently.

The atomic energy ministry sees China and India as prime sources of money to develop Russia's under-funded nuclear technology programmes.

Russia will provide the reactors for a $ 2.5 billion nuclear power station project in India, and will also co-operate on developing more advanced reactors in the country, the Interfax news agency reported.

A ministry spokesman said that sale of the reactors "would allow us not only to survive, but to keep up with other countries developing similar technologies,'' Interfax reported.

Russia is also expected to receive roughly $ 2.5 billion for building a nuclear power plant in China.

UNI

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