PM Julia Gillard to visit India from October 15-17

Forging closer ties – PM Julia Gillard on way to India on October 15

Australia is close to finalise a uranium safeguards agreement with India that would allow it to sell the yellowcake to the Asian giant, Foreign Minister Bob Carr has said recently.

His comments came ahead of Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s maiden 3-day visit to India starting from October 15.
“Yes we are, and the Indians are happy with the progress on this. And we always – where there’s a sale of Australian uranium, we always have a treaty that governs it and puts in place all the safeguards we’d require, IAEA and the rest, non-proliferation references,” Carr said when asked to comment whether Canberra was close to ink a deal with New Delhi on the sale of uranium, PTI reported.

“The relationship’s in good working order and the thing the Indians wanted out of us most was a decision to sell them uranium for the peaceful development of nuclear power which is a major strategic goal for them and I think an environmental plus for the planet,” the minister told a local TV channel.

However, he refrained from commenting if the deal was part of Gillard’s visit due on October 15. Prime Minister will definitely be there for the launch of Oz Fest which opens on October 16, 2012 in New Delhi with performances by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, didgeridoo virtuoso Mark Atkins and Indian artist Anoushka Shankar. From Australia we have actress Pallavi Sharda and cricketer Brett Lee as Oz Fest’s ambassadors along with Master Chef’s Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris who are well known names in India already. The fest will conclude on February 5, 2013.

 

 

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