The Indian government has signed a civilian nuclear deal with Australia, allowing the export of Australian uranium to the country, which is facing increasing energy needs.
The deal was signed during Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s visit to India, where he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, reported AP.
Australia has almost a third of the world's known uranium reserves and imposes strict conditions on uranium exports. To address India’s failure to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, which had long been a barrier to a trade deal, both sides also signed a parallel nuclear safeguards agreement, according to Business Standard.
“The signing of the civil nuclear cooperation agreement is a historic milestone in our relationship. It is a reflection of a new level of mutual trust and confidence in our relationship and will open a new chapter in our bilateral cooperation. It will support India’s efforts to fuel its growth with clean energy and minimise its carbon footprint,” Modi said after the meeting.