Australia Agrees to Resume Uranium Exports to India, Ending Years-Long Deadlock
Melbourne: Australia has decided to resume uranium exports to India, ending a years-long impasse over the issue and marking a significant step in bilateral cooperation.
According to the Associated Press, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an administrative agreement on uranium exports following their meeting in Melbourne on Thursday.
The two leaders did not immediately disclose the quantity of uranium Australia would supply to India or provide a timeline for when exports would begin.
Although Australia and India signed a uranium supply agreement in 2014, exports had been delayed due to concerns that the material could potentially be used in India’s nuclear weapons program.
Australia possesses the world’s largest known uranium reserves but does not operate nuclear power plants or maintain nuclear weapons. Instead, it exports its uranium resources to other countries for civilian use under international safeguards.
According to the report, India aims to generate 100 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2047 as part of its long-term energy strategy.
India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), while Australia is an NPT member and has historically been reluctant to sell uranium to countries that are not parties to the treaty. The new agreement reflects a shift in bilateral cooperation despite those longstanding concerns.
