New Delhi:
Harinder Sidhu Australian High Commissioner to India said that her country will continue to support India’s bid to the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other non-proliferation regimes. Sidhu said her country was in the forefront in supporting India’s application to the 48-nation elite club.
“We are both committed to a non-proliferation world. Australia wants to see India in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other non-proliferating regimes mainly because India has the potential and we trusted India’s credentials.
“Australia had been in forefront of supporting India’s application at the Nuclear Suppliers Group. We will continue to support India,” Sidhu said. She was speaking at interaction at the Foreign Correspondents Club.
India and Australia has a civil nuclear cooperation agreement in place. India intends to import Australian uranium to quench its energy requirement. “We did complete our civil nuclear cooperation agreement recently and we are hopeful that activity will take place on that front too,” she said, adding that the matter lies between the commercial entities and India.
Commenting on the verdict by an international court on the South China Sea, Sidhu said “restrain” really matters in the dispute. Nothing that Australia has strong economic interests in South China Sea, Sidhu said around 60 per cent of its country’s trade passes through the region.
“We don’t take sides of competiting territorial claims. We have strong interest in regional peace and stability and respect for maritime and international law. “The ruling clarified the maritime rights in the South China Sea and we call for the parties to abide by it,” Sidhu said.
