India-Oz nuke deal talks likely in March

India and Australia on Monday agreed to start negotiations on a civil nuclear cooperation agreement and it is learnt that both sides are exploring March 18 and 19 as the proposed dates for the first round of talks.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and his Australian counterpart Bob Carr, after 90-minute bilateral talks, said, "We shall be commencing negotiations on a Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation Agreement in March 2013," Khurshid said.

"India is a key part of Australia's future," Carr said, while announcing that the first round of talks for the nuclear cooperation agreement would be held in New Delhi in March.

While the ministers did not spell out the dates, sources told The Indian Express that the two sides are looking at March 18 and 19 as the possible dates for the talks.

Once concluded, the agreement would enable the export of uranium from Australia to India, Carr said. Australia has about 40 per cent of the world's uranium reserves.

On a timeframe for concluding negotiations on nuclear pact, Khurshid said the sense of urgency and commitment between the two countries on the issue was "very clear".

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