"Nuclear is a big part of its energy future": Former Australian PM Scott Morrison on India-Australia uranium partnership
By Ayushi Agarwal, Sydney, July 9
Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday welcomed Australia's confirmation of arrangements enabling uranium exports to India for peaceful purposes under the 2015 civil nuclear cooperation agreement, saying India's growing emphasis on nuclear energy would strengthen its long-term energy security while deepening the bilateral partnership.
Speaking to ANI, Morrison said uranium exports to India now enjoy bipartisan political support in Australia and are no longer a contentious issue.
"It already was, and that happened back earlier last decade under the Abbott government when the civil nuclear partnership agreement was put in place. It is a bipartisan position now, by both major sides of politics in Australia, to support uranium sales to India. That's not a controversial issue in Australia anymore. I'm pleased that we will be extending that partnership through what was announced today," he said.
Highlighting India's energy strategy, Morrison said, "I think what's probably more significant is the fact that India is making it very clear that nuclear is a big part of their energy future. Prime Minister Modi is leading the way in declaring a nuclear energy future for India, and that's an example for others to follow, including Australia."
He added that "energy security is tightly linked to economic security and indeed national security." India and Australia on Thursday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening energy security and resilient energy supply chains, while expressing deep concern over the ongoing situation in West Asia and its impact on global energy markets.
In a Joint Statement on Energy Security, the two countries said they shared "deep concern over the situation in the Middle East and its consequences for our region, including the prolonged impact of disruptions on energy, resources and other important commodities' supply chains and prices."
In a significant development, the two sides announced that they had "finalised the administrative arrangements necessary to enable the export of Australian uranium to India for exclusively peaceful purposes and under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards," as provided under the Australia-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement signed in 2015.
The statement said both countries were committed to strengthening energy supply chain resilience through deeper regional cooperation, accelerating the energy transition, promoting renewable energy adoption and maintaining open trade arrangements for energy products.
Australia and India also stressed the growing importance of electrification, stating that "increasing electrification of respective energy systems will be a valuable source of energy security into the future."
The two countries acknowledged the energy security challenges faced by Pacific Island countries and emphasised the importance of reliable energy supplies for the region's resilience and economic prosperity.
Against this backdrop, India and Australia reaffirmed their commitment to "maintaining a stable, secure and reliable supply of energy products, such as coal, diesel, other liquid fuels and natural gas."
They also reiterated their commitment to accelerating the energy transition and strengthening cooperation on low-carbon fuels. In this context, Australia welcomed India's Global Biofuels Alliance initiative.
Calling for broader regional cooperation, the joint statement said, "Australia and India call on regional partners to join in ensuring global energy resource supply chains are kept open for the benefit of the security and prosperity of our peoples."
— ANI
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