Milestone for Canada-India nuclear cooperation

An agreement signed by Canadian and Indian nuclear regulators has brought the nuclear cooperation agreement that will allow Canadian companies to export nuclear items including uranium to India nearer to implementation.

An agreement signed by Canadian and Indian nuclear regulators has brought the nuclear cooperation agreement that will allow Canadian companies to export nuclear items including uranium to India nearer to implementation.

CNSC president Michael Binder signs the arrangement in the presence of Nirmal Kumar Verma, Commissioner of India to Canada (Image: CNSC)

The 'appropriate arrangement' was signed by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and India's Department of Atomic Energy on 21 March, Canadian resources minister Joe Oliver announced in a speech delivered at Cameco's Saskatoon headquarters. The agreement follows on from negotiations between the premiers of the two countries, concluded in November 2012, and supports the nuclear cooperation agreement signed by the countries in 2010.

The arrangement establishes the modalities for a joint committee between the two countries mandated by the cooperation agreement to ensure ongoing discussions and information sharing to facilitate nuclear cooperation while maintaining strong non-proliferation standards. The CNSC will oversee the implementation of the agreement. With the appropriate arrangement finalised, the governments of the two countries can now take steps to bring the full nuclear cooperation agreement into force.

Together, the cooperation agreement and appropriate arrangement will allow Canadian firms to export and import controlled nuclear materials, equipment and technology to and from Indian facilities that are subject to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. India has a flourishing nuclear power program and ambitious nuclear energy plans but has only modest uranium resources, making the country a potentially important market for Canada's uranium producers.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News