General agreement concerning the reactors was achieved during the session of Russian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission chaired by India’s Minister for External Affairs Salman Khurshid and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. Other issues discussed at the meeting were those of nuclear, space, power industry and economic spheres. It became clear that the construction of units 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam NPP with Russia’s participation is an almost closed issue.

“Consultations are under way. We think that the atmosphere there is improving, and we hope for a positive solution, – Mr. Rogozin emphasized. – Since our general starting point is that today’s government of India is able to fully implement the roadmap connected with nuclear industry development with Russian participation. These include the Kudankulam NPP and the other site, which is to be coordinated with the central and regional Indian authorities”.

The work of two station’s first power units, built with the participation of Russian specialists, was positively estimated at the meeting. Unit 1 is quickly approaching its design capacity; the process to be completed by the end of April or beginning of May, as the parties hope. The second stage of the plant is being built according to the schedule, which means it may be connected to national grid as early as by the end of the year.

“The visit of our delegation is the confirmation of agreements achieved and a push to the future ones, remembering the coming elections in India, – noted Mr. Rogozin. – We are fully convinced that, taking into consideration far-reaching relations between Russian and Indian societies, no election results can bring to revision of the agreements made between us and India, since the question of friendship between our countries is that of public consensus”.

The Kudankulam NPP is being built with Russia’s technical assistance in accordance with intergovernmental agreement of 1988 and1998’s addendum to it. The client and operator is Nuclear Power Corporation of India. The launch of unit 1 was in July 2013, while in October it was first connected to the mains. Today specialists are doing step-by-step hookup of the unit. The unit 2 construction is on its final stage. The parties have almost finished preparations to stage 2 of the NPP construction (units 3 and 4). Today the Kudankulam plant is the world’s most up-to-date project with physical start-up already done and network connection works being conducted. Unit 1 today is the most powerful one in India.