India on Wednesday signed an agreement in civilian nuclear cooperation with Argentina, the seventh pact it has inked after coming out of isolation in the civilian nuclear field.
The nuclear pact was among the 10 agreements signed with Argentina following talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting Argentine President Cristina Fernando de Kirchner.
The Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy was signed by Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Vivek Katju and Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Talana.
‘For mutual benefit’
“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,” said a joint statement issued after the Argentine President’s talks with Dr. Singh.
Both countries also resolved to make use of the synergies between the two countries and the vast experience of their nuclear scientists and technologists.
India had signed civilian nuclear pacts with the United States, France, Russia, Kazakhstan, Namibia and Mongolia.
India and Argentina also signed pacts on business visas, cooperation in science and technology and outer space besides Memoranda of Understanding in hydrocarbon sector, sports, trade and geological research.
The joint statement said the two sides expressed their will to continue and expand bilateral dialogue and cooperation comprehensively to take it to the strategic partnership level.
The dialogue will aim at mutually-beneficiary cooperation in all spheres, including dialogue on political and strategic issues, economic and trade relations, consular issues, energy, investment, services and tourism.
The two leaders agreed to fix the bilateral trade target at $3 billion by 2012.
