In a path-breaking step, India and Australia Wednesday kick off negotiations for a civil nuclear deal that will enable Australia to sale the Uranium, a radioactive element used for generating nuclear energy, to India, which Australia had earlier denied because India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
NPT is international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology and to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. It was open for signature in 1968 and till date a total of 190 parties have joined the Treaty, including the five nuclear-weapon states - the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China (also the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council).
But, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel have denied to signed on it, which led Australia and other radioactive element rich countries to sale of Uranium to these countries.
But, with the efforts of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who is at present on her three-days official visit to India, persuaded her party (Australian Labour Party) to make changes in country's policy of not selling Uranium to Non-NPT countries.
Wednesday became a great achievement day for India as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on a wide cluster of issues that included civil nuclear cooperation, intensification of economic ties and enhanced counter-terror and security cooperation.
The two sides inked four pacts and announced a slew of steps that will imbue their burgeoning ties with greater depth and diversity. The initiatives include annual meetings at the summit level, either bilaterally or during multilateral events, a ministerial-level dialogue on energy security and setting up of a water technology partnership.
"The prime ministers announced that India and Australia would commence negotiations on a bilateral Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement which, for Australia, is a prerequisite for uranium sales to other countries," said a joint statement after the talks.
"We have agreed to begin negotiations for an agreement on civil nuclear energy cooperation, which will precede actual cooperation," Manmohan Singh said at a joint media statement with Gillard.
He added, "As you are aware, under Prime Minister Gillard, the Australian Labour Party has articulated a new policy on uranium sales to India. This is recognition of India's energy needs as well as of our record and credentials and I have expressed to Prime Minister Gillard our India's appreciation of this development."
At a banquet at Hyderabad House, Manmohan Singh toasted Gillard for her pathbreaking initiative to start nuclear deal negotiations with India.
Gillard, the prime mover behind the India-Australia nuclear rapprochement, however, has made it clear that the deal could take a year or two before uranium exports begin. In December last year, Gillard pushed the ruling Labour Party to reverse an earlier policy of not selling uranium to countries which have not signed the NPT and argued that this was a necessary step to bolster ties with one of Asia's biggest economies.
The decision has removed a "point of tension" in relations between the nations, Gillard stressed. "Australia has changed, in determining to export uranium to India. India is changing, through important economic reforms in areas like energy, aviation and retail," she added. The two sides also signed four pacts that included cooperation in the field of wool and woollen products, cooperation in student mobility and welfare and cooperation in civil space science, technology and education.
They also decided to expand the strategic canvas of their partnership by agreeing to work closely in creating an inclusive order in the Asia-Pacific region. The two sides decided to step up negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that will help scale up bilateral trade and investment.
Speaking to business leaders, Gillard said the two countries have set a goal of doubling bilateral trade to $40 billion by 2015 Bilateral trade in goods was estimated to be $17.4 billion in 2011-12, while India's investments in Australia are around S$ 11 billion.
They also decided to start negotiations for an agreement on transfer of sentenced people serving prison terms.
Manmohan Singh's praise for Gillard comes at a time when the Australian prime minister is facing attack from critics back home for a slew of domestic policy missteps.
--With IANS Inputs--
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