Malawi for Joint Uranium Exploration with India
Vice President of Malawi, a mineral-rich state, has said that his country is keen to go for a joint exploration of its uranium reserves with India as part of its efforts to achieve energy security.
Vice President Joyce Banda said last night that India and Malawi can work together to explore uranium sites as there is huge deposits of the mineral in his country.
The statement came following inking of three agreements between the two countries in sectors like agriculture and small enterprises during Vice President Hamid Ansari’s three-day visit as a part of his week long tri-nation Africa tour.
“We have discovered Malawi has huge deposits of uranium. We can work with Indian government to explore other sites of uranium deposits,” Banda said.
He made the statement while responding to a query on what kind of assistance the country wants from New Delhi.
India has proposed MoU in the field of coal resources, while Malawi has suggested that the scope of the MoU shold be expanded to incorporate 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.
Ansari, meanwhile, left for Botswana today on the final leg of his southern Africa tour, which had also taken him to Zambia, after conclusion of his visit here.
