Malawi offers joint uranium exploration with India

Mineral-rich Malawi on Saturday expressed interest in joint exploration of its uranium reserves with India as part of its efforts to attain energy security, even as the two countries inked three key pacts in the fields like agriculture and small enterprises. After singing three important agreements for cooperation in various fields, Vice President Joyce Banda said that India and Malawi can work together to explore uranium sites as her country has huge deposits of the mineral. "We have discovered Malawi has huge deposits of uranium. We can work with Indian government to explore other sites of uranium deposits," Banda said replying to a query on what kind of assistance it wants from India in exploring the mineral deposits. In her speech, Banda said while India has proposed a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of coal resources, Malawi is proposing that the scope of the MoU should be expanded to include development of other mineral resources such as uranium, which is an important source of energy. "What is paramount for Malawi is energy security. Mining of uranium is just a component of energy. Uranium is just a part of the larger picture," she said. India and Malawi also signed three agreements in fields of agriculture and allied sectors, small and medium enterprises and Protocol on Foreign Office Consultations, during Vice President Hamid Ansari's visit to this country.

The agreements aim at giving a fillip to setting up new industries in Malawi, promoting marketing of agri products, animal husbandry and micro processing. Banda said there are four specific areas in which Malawi is seeking India's cooperation for energy listing coal, water and wind energy as the other components besides uranium. "Malawi has good mineral resources in which we are interested but there are things, which are being examined in some depth," Ansari had said before embarking on his three nation visit on Jan 5. Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs Vivek Katju, who later briefed reporters regarding the agreements and discussions between the two countries, however evaded a direct reply on the issue. "They have energy resources and they view this (uranium) is also a part of their resources," he said when asked about the offer of the Malawian side on it. To a question on how India responds to the offer, Katju said, "the country indicated that it is ready and willing that there should be cooperation across the board in energy sector like in all other sectors". Uranium production began in Malawai from its Kayelekera mine owned by Paladin Energy of Australia in September 2009. The first uranium exports from the country took place in mid-October to Canada. Katju said India is discussing with Malawi an MoU on cooperation in mineral resources, which it hopes to finalise in the coming months.

Source: .zeenews.com/news594067.html