India and Australia will hold their second round of discussions on uranium sale in July-end, three months after they launched negotiations for a civil nuclear cooperation agreement.
Noting that ultimately it was up to the companies to finalise the commercial details of sale of uranium, Australian high commissioner to India Patrick Suckling said the effort during the negotiations was to put in place an effective safeguard mechanism to ensure that the Australian uranium was used for peaceful purposes. “The second round will happen in month-end. The first one had happened in March when the negotiations started very well, very constructive... That is the spirit in which they will continue,” he said.
Asked when can India expect the first consignment of the yellow cake, he said, “That is up to the companies to make the decision but what we are trying to do is to put in place a framework to enable the (Oz) companies to be able to make that decision (to sell uranium to Indian companies).