CANBERRA – Australia has sent its first uranium shipment to India for testing purposes ahead of possible commercial sales to the nation, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said.
“I can confirm that the first shipment of uranium has taken place in mid-July, when a small sample of uranium was transferred for testing purposes,” Bishop said in an emailed statement on Saturday.
“The transfer is part of ongoing commercial negotiations between Australian uranium exporters and India’s Department of Atomic Energy on possible sales contracts for civil nuclear-power generation,” Bishop said.
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott signed an agreement with India for civil nuclear cooperation in September 2014, opening the door for uranium sales. Australia’s current leader, Malcolm Turnbull, said in April he was looking forward to exporting uranium to the nation as soon as possible after holding talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.