Global Security Newswire

India and Argentina yesterday completed a trade deal that would enable the nations to exchange nuclear energy technology and expertise, the Hindu reported (see GSN, April 20).

This was the seventh such deal signed by New Delhi since its re-entry into the nuclear marketplace. Agreements are also in place with France, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Namibia, Russia and the United States, according to the newspaper.

“Taking into account their respective capabilities and experience in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, both India and Argentina have agreed to encourage and support scientific, technical and commercial cooperation for mutual benefit in this field,” the countries said in a statement following a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Argentine counterpart Cristina Fernando de Kirchner (Sandeep Dikshit, The Hindu, Oct. 15).

Meanwhile, Australia on Tuesday reaffirmed its refusal to supply uranium fuel to India, Agence France-Presse reported.

"We have had a long-standing principal position which is not aimed at India, it is the long-standing position that we do not export uranium to a country that is not a party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty," said Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith (Agence France-Presse/Google News, Oct. 14).