Nuclear pact with South Korea

black eagle

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Nuclear pact with South Korea

NEW DELHI: India will soon sign its ninth civil nuclear agreement with its negotiators having finalised the text with South Korea, say government sources. "This freezing of the text adds another dimension to the possibilities for India to access civil nuclear technology from another country," add the sources.

The countries with which India has signed similar pacts are Russia, the United States, France, Mongolia, Argentina, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom and Canada. Some are pure fuel supplies pact while others include all aspects of the relationship such as fuel supply, R&D and setting up of civil nuclear plants. The pact with South Korea will focus on the last two aspects.

South Korea recently joined the ranks of civil nuclear power exporters when it bagged $20 billion worth of orders from the United Arab Emirates beating stiff competition from the French company Areva for building four nuclear plants. "However, the possibility of Korea Electric Power Corporation getting orders from India will have to await its negotiations with the Department of Atomic Energy and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited," said the sources.

The civil nuclear pact was a result of the all-round comprehensive relationship being forged by India with East Asian and South East Asian countries. India has signed a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CEPA) with South Korea which, in the first full year of operation in 2010, led to a 46 per cent growth in trade.

Interestingly, the growth rate of both South Korean and Indian exports were the same during this period.

This initiative was cemented by high-level visits that catered to other aspects of the relationship. "But for Posco, it has otherwise been a good year for India's ties with South Korea," said the sources while pointing out that the Korean Finance Minister was here in January and in a meeting with his counterpart Pranab Mukherjee decided to hold a meeting of the two every year. This annual summit arrangement at the Finance Ministers' level would attend to pending policy issues as well as increased proximity in the similarity of views of both countries on the global economic crises at G-20 forum. This was followed by a visit by the Trade Minister who took stock of the progress made after the introduction of CEPA.

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna visited Seoul but what added ballast to the relationship was Defence Minister A.K. Antony signing two pacts, including a general defence cooperation agreement. In October, in another gesture of political proximity, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi went to South Korea to ink a social security agreement.

Agreement with Japan?

With the civil nuclear agreement in the bag and CEPA showing good results, India is all set to sign a similar agreement with Japan following the arrival of Commerce & Industries Minister Anand Sharma in Tokyo. He will call on Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Tuesday to discuss ongoing cooperation in infrastructure projects.



http://www.hindu.com/2011/02/15/stories/2011021564371400.htm
 

Tshering22

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One more opportunities the yellow Aussies miss. Let's see how long they can resist this. :D
 

Yusuf

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Aussies are not losing anything by way of money but surely at diplomatic and strategic level. But as recent reports have shown, there are back channel negotiations on with them. Besides there is no link between the SK's and Aussie deal. SK is an equipment supplier where as australia's is purely a fuel.
 

wild goose

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One more opportunities the yellow Aussies miss. Let's see how long they can resist this. :D
It seems they heard you

Review ban on uranium sale to India: Australian Minister


Australian Federal Resource Minister Martin Ferguson has asked his Labour government to modernise its policy and lift the ban on sale of uranium to India as it deserves special consideration.

Mr. Ferguson said the party's current uranium sales policy needed "some flexibility or some discretion should be built" when it comes to India.

According to Fairfax media, Mr. Ferguson said he will not ask Labour to lift its ban on uranium exports to countries outside the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, but rather recognise that "India deserves special consideration".

"No one can suggest India is a rogue state. I think this is something the Labour Party has to think about: there should be some flexibility or discretion built into the national policy that enables Australia to handle the delicate situation of India while at the same time forcing full accountability in the use of uranium in civilian power plants," the Australian Minister said.

Last month, Mr. Ferguson met External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and reiterated his party's stance on not selling the yellow metal to India.

The statement feeds expectations that the party will hold a contentious debate at its next national conference later this year to consider reversing Labour's current uranium sales policy.

"I accept [that our refusal to export uranium] is a major concern in an otherwise close strategic relationship between Australia and India.

"Any future uranium sales to India would be accompanied by a bilateral safeguards agreement such as the one Australia negotiated with China in 2007, and Australia would want inspections on the ground," he said.

His comments came after a media report disclosed that a U.S. cable supplied to Wikileaks indicated a nuclear fuel deal with India was being seen in the next three to five years.

His comments also came ahead of an expected move on Wednesday by the Australian Workers' Union (AWU) to pass a resolution supporting expansion of uranium mining and endorsing a debate about nuclear power, the report said.

AWU national secretary Paul Howes has publicly supported nuclear energy.

Former New South Wales Labor premier Bob Carr also believes the party needs to debate the issue.

Ferguson's emphatic support for uranium sales to India is deeply contentious in some quarters of the ALP, but his position is also supported in principle by senior members of the Gillard ministry on both sides of the factional divide, the report said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1460466.ece
 
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SHASH2K2

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It seems they heard you

Review ban on uranium sale to India: Australian Minister
I wish I would have been able to add to your reputation but cannot do so because I need to get some in order to give it to you . :( . Its really a good news and its a sign of growing relevance of country in International arena.
 

Yusuf

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Shash that is old news mate already posted in another thread. Plus there are back channel negotiations on.
 

SHASH2K2

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Shash that is old news mate already posted in another thread. Plus there are back channel negotiations on.
I think its a recent development as its reported by Hindu. Had it been Timesnow it could be old news as well. Anyways I Am sure we will have breakthrough very soon. Maybe in an year or two . This statement might be a result of some back channel negotiation as well . They cannot declare all of sudden that they will give exception to India. Its part of a well thought strategy to put a thought in people mind that this is going to happen.
 

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