India and Australia have recently engaged in what the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described as "very substantive" forward-looking discussions on implementing their bilateral nuclear supply agreement. New Delhi expressed hope that these talks would reach a logical conclusion, according to an MEA statement on Friday.
Background of the Nuclear Supply Agreement
The Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement between India and Australia was signed in 2014, paving the way for Australian uranium to fuel India's civilian nuclear power program. While the agreement entered into force in 2015, commercial uranium supplies have yet to commence. The remarks from the MEA come ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Australia, where energy security and critical minerals are expected to be key topics.
MEA Official's Statement
Vishwesh Negi, Joint Secretary (Indo-Pacific) in the MEA, addressed the status of uranium supplies during a special media briefing. "We are aware that India and Australia have a bilateral nuclear supply agreement. However, it has not been implemented for the last few years. In recent times, there have been very substantive forward-looking conversations between the two sides, and I think there is hope that there will be a logical conclusion to the discussions," Negi said.
Defence Cooperation with Indonesia
On reports that Indonesia had sought additional BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and a Line of Credit from India for defence purchases, MEA Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon declined to comment on specifics. "Defence cooperation is an important part of the relationship with Indonesia. I don't think we need to get into the details of this at this juncture, particularly since we haven't even departed from here and all these are at preparatory stages," Tandon said. India and Indonesia have steadily expanded ties, with maritime security, military exercises, and defence industrial cooperation as key pillars of their strategic partnership.
