Russia and India have agreed deals totalling $700m by which Moscow will supply uranium pellets to Delhi, Indian and Russian officials say.

Russia's state-owned Atomenergoprom said its TVEL arm had signed the deals on Wednesday with Indian officials.

The deal follows the decision by the Nuclear Suppliers Group in September last year to lift restrictions on uranium deliveries to India.

The international group oversees the reduction of nuclear proliferation.

US accord

Atomenergoprom says the deals are the first long-term nuclear fuel contracts signed with India in recent years.

A statement released by the Indian department of atomic energy said that deals comprise the long-term supply of 2,000 tonnes of natural uranium pellets for India's pressurised Heavy Water Reactors, in addition to another contract for Low Enriched Uranium pellets for Boiling Water Reactor units operated by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India.

The statement said that imported natural uranium from Russia would be used under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.

It said that the deal with Russia was the second major agreement India had made relating to the supply of nuclear fuel since the the Nuclear Suppliers Group allowed international civil nuclear trade with India.

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