India, Argentina sign civil nuclear deal

New Delhi: India and Argentina have signed an agreement for cooperation in the civil nuclear field along with nine other pacts aimed at establishing and enhancing bilateral strategic partnership. The agreements follow wide-ranging talks between Indian prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Argentine president Cristina Fernando de Kirchner here.

Argentinian president Dr Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and minister of state for defence, M M Pallam Raju at the CII-Ficci-Assocham business lunch on 14 October 2009

Argentina now becomes the seventh country with which India has signed a civil nuclear agreement following the lifting of a 34-year-old ban on nuclear commerce in September last year by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group.

India has already signed similar pacts with the US, France, Russia, Kazakhstan, Namibia and Mongolia.

The Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy between India and Argentina was signed by Vivek Katju, secretary (west) in the ministry of external affairs and the Argentine foreign minister Jorge Talana.

A joint statement issued after the talks said India and Argentina will make use of the synergies between the two countries and the vast experience of their nuclear scientists and technologists.

"Taking into account their respective capabilities and experience in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, both India and Argentina have agreed to encourage and support scientific technical and commercial cooperation for mutual benefit in this field," it said.