Aus-India talks on nuke deal progressing well: Suckling

Keen to bolster bilateral ties, Australia today said negotiations on firming up the civil nuclear deal with India to facilitate uranium supply were going on "very well" and both the countries want to seal the pact as quickly as possible.
Australian High Commissioner Patrick Suckling said the Tony Abbott government was committed to firm up the agreement with India as there has been a strong political support for it within the country which is one of the largest exporter of uranium.
The fourth round of negotiations on the civil nuclear deal concluded last week in Canberra and Suckling said significant progress has been made during the talks.

"The negotiations had gone very well. We made significant progress. There has been good will on both sides for early conclusion of the agreement. We are hopeful that we will be able to conclude negotiations as soon as possible," the High Commissioner told reporters.
He said India will have to give an assurance to Australia that the uranium will be used for peaceful purposes and not for military purposes.
"From the policy position, there has been no issue. So both the governments are negotiating to give effect to the policy decision," the High Commissioner said, while expressing commitment to expand the bilateral ties.

Refusing to give a possible time line for conclusion of the negotiations, he said, "We have not put a time frame for conclusion of the negotiations but both the governments are very committed to conclude it as soon as possible".

India hopes to import Australian uranium to feed its nuclear power plant reactors, which are expected to increase in next few years.
Australia -- a key member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group--had been earlier opposed to the idea of selling uranium to India as it has not signed the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT), but had reversed its policy in 2011.

Asked whether India has been able to address Australia's concern on end use, he said the issue is under negotiation.
On whether he has any reservation about India's nuclear liability laws, Suckling said they will not be applicable to Australia as it will not be involved in building any nuclear reactor.