India Brazil Strategic Partnership, since its beginning in 2006, has focused on multilateral diplomatic team work for common global goals, sidelining difficult issues such as nuclear energy. But Brazil is impatient for nuclear collaboration with India.
In an exclusive interview with The Hindu , Mauro Vieira, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, said, “We are very interested to get a share of India’s expertise in nuclear energy and nuclear technology. We want to get down to the specifics on collaborative research, development and scientific exchanges in the field of nuclear energy production with India”. Past India-Brazil joint statements had mentioned more collaboration in the nuclear field but Mr Vieira feels a lot more needs to be done in the field of nuclear energy cooperation between the two sides.
Mr.Vieira gave the assurance about Brazil being committed to peaceful use of nuclear power. “Brazil’s Constitution has enshrined its commitment to non-weaponisation of nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is important for our development and nuclear science has many applications in non-military areas as in the sphere of medicine and health. We want to make a new beginning in that direction for India-Brazil cooperation,” Mr.Vieira said.
The nuclear ventures of Latin America have traditionally been stunted by the nuclear umbrella of the United States, but the Foreign Minister, who is in town to conduct India-Brazil Joint Commission meeting, says that Brazil is willing to explore the nuclear energy-related aspects. Brazil’s nuclear industry began in the 1950s. Brazil, which is a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), has also been eyeing supply contracts for Indian nuclear majors.
“We champion non-intervention in international issues” said the Minister, who will discuss the next steps in the Brazil-India Strategic Partnership on Thursday with Indian officials. “I am in Delhi to talk to the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and will plan how to energise our strategic partnership,” he said when asked about Brazil’s support to India on several multilateral groups like the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and the NSG. Brazil was one of the major powers to push for dialogue with Iran when tension ran high between Tehran and the United States over Iran’s nuclear energy programme and believes that every country should be free to choose its mode of energy production.
The Minister said, “Brazil is a peaceful country and we have friends on all multilateral platforms of the world. We can help India wherever the need arises,” explaining that the bilateral interests of India-Brazil relation has matured and need to be given a boost.
