Australia had previously ruled out exporting uranium to India as it has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but Gillard reversed the policy late last year in an effort to improve ties with one of Asia’s biggest emerging economies.
“I anticipate that I will have some discussions on uranium,” she said after landing in New Delhi on Monday.
“I formed the view as prime minister that it was appropriate for us to sell uranium to India, and that it had become an obstacle in our relationship that we were not.”
Gillard added any agreement with India would guarantee that the uranium would only be used for peaceful processes and in safe conditions, and that a deal would be overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“India has a national interest in making sure its nuclear programme is safe, and seen to be safe by the world,” she said.
Gillard will have meetings with business leaders and visit an education project in New Delhi on Tuesday before holding talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday.
Fast-growing India is a key trade partner for Australia and the two countries agreed in 2009 to upgrade their relationship to a “strategic partnership” involving greater security cooperation.
Australia already ships nuclear fuel to China, Japan, Taiwan and the United States but had refused to sell it to India.
India ended its status as a nuclear pariah when it entered into a civil nuclear agreement with the United States in 2005 that was approved by the IAEA.
COMMENTS (11)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
70 per cent of Australia's medical system managed by doctors and nurses from India. India-Australia friendship, trade, educational- interaction and sports will flourish in this century.
thanks for the yellow cake..we can now produce nukes like sausages ;)
"Gillard added any agreement with India would guarantee that the uranium would only be used for peaceful processes..."
As India honored her commitments previously by diverting plutonium, meant for peaceful purposes, to her first "peaceful nuclear explosion" aka. "The Smiling Buddha". Now all of India's local uranium production would be available for peaceful purposes, that is, making nuclear bombs. No nation comes close to India in the field of cheating.
We know future Indian needs; population of 1,210,193,422 increasing with a rate of 1.76%, India is in great pressure to cope with the needs of its people. In future India need more bathrooms than temples, yes we know that with 80.5% of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, 13.4% Muslims, 2.3% Christian, 1.9% Sikhs, 0.8% Buds, 0.4% Janis, India is not a country it’s a continent and one day Indian prove this with their hard work that they are world’s largest population.
go clench your teeth pakistan go post on facebook..."how can they do this?" . You know why because pakistan wasnt even able to provide and assurance of the payment for railway locomotives
@Moise: You get what you deserve
Moise, it shows the status of our country in world. For long we have tried to punch above our heights and now, world has shown us where are actual place is. Its time we change our policies, our identity to survive.
Its business. she had no choice.. if australia wouldnt some other country would .. makes more sense to do business. BTW this was in the pipeline since Prime minister John Howard.
Uranium for India; sick sheep for Pakistan! Australian export policy for subcontinent! - Shireen Mazari
This is very kind. Australia finally recognised India's impeccable record, even Pakistanis agreed to(when they voted for India in the IAEA vote).
India is headed to be in the top 3 of Economies of the world. Democracy, Human Rights, Freedoms only act as a sweetener.