Major power plant deal between Russia and India

The Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Anatoly Chubais, says agreement has been reached with India to build a nuclear power plant in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu -- the culmination of ten years of talks.

It will be the biggest ever joint venture between the two countries.

Mr Chubais, speaking in Delhi, said the project would be signed by President Yeltsin when he visits India next month, and would dictate Indo-Russian trade and economic relations for years to come.

He also appealed for a broader revival in trade between the two countries, saying they were using an out-of date system -- a reference to a 1992 agreement under which India repays Soviet-era debt in rupees, which are then used to buy Indian goods.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service