India welcomes Aus PM's announcement on uranium

Bangalore: India on Tuesday welcomed Australian Government's move towards reversing its ban on uranium exports to India.

"We welcome Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's proposal to seek a change in Australia's Labour Party's policies and sale of uranium to India in recognition of our energy needs for the impeccable record in non-proliferation and strategic partnership between two nations," External Affairs Minister SM Krishna told reporters in Bangalore.

Krishna said India attaches great importance to its relations with Australia which are growing across the board.

Australian PM Gillard said she will urge the party faithful to reverse a ban on uranium exports to India.

He also said energy was one of the key areas of bilateral cooperation between India and Australia.

Krishna's comments on the sidelines of the ongoing Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) here come in the wake of Gillard making a strong pitch for uranium sale to India.

Gillard has said she will urge the party faithful at next month's Labor national conference to reverse a ban on uranium exports to India and lifting the ban was another step forward in Australia's relationship with India.

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