NEW DELHI: Australia has assured that it would firm up its position with regard to India's civil nuclear ambitions in the light of its "existing friendly" relations with the country although the ruling party's policy did not allow cooperation in the field with a non-NPT nation, government said here on Tuesday night.

During a meeting between Prime Minister's special envoy Shyam Saran and Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith in Perth, Canberra conveyed that it was in the process of working out its position with regard to cooperation with New Delhi in civil nuclear field, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

Earlier reports said the Australian government had ruled out civil nuclear cooperation with India.

Smith said that his government was "in the process of working out its position in this regard and in doing so would take fully into account the importance of existing friendly relations and expanding ties with India, the largest democracy in the world," the MEA statement said.

At the same time, the Australian Foreign Minister drew Saran's attention to the "long-held position of his party that a Labour government would not supply uranium to a non-NPT country."

Source : PTI