THE Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, is expected to ask Australia to support the approval of India's nuclear deal with the United States when he meets Kevin Rudd on the sidelines of the Group of Eight meeting.

The Labor Government is opposed to selling uranium to India, which is not a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. However, sources told the Herald Australia was unlikely to object to the Indo-US deal at the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a crucial step in the consummation of the agreement.

Under the 123 Agreement, India will get US nuclear technology and supplies of uranium in return for allowing inspections of its civilian nuclear plants.

When the Foreign Affairs Minister, Stephen Smith, met his Indian counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee, last month, he hinted Australia would not take a strong stance against the deal at either the International Atomic Energy Agency or the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group. Mr Smith later said the Government would "bear in mind … the importance of the issue to India" and the US when it considered what position to take.

Rory Medcalf, a security analyst at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, said the Labor Government needed to balance Australia's increasingly important relationship with India with its strong stance on nuclear non-proliferation. "I would not rule out Australia making a few noises about the deal," he said. "But I'd be surprised if Australia was the chief obstacle to it at the Nuclear Suppliers Group."

The Opposition foreign affairs spokesman, Andrew Robb, yesterday called on Mr Rudd to tell Mr Singh Australia would not block the sale of uranium for clean electricity generation.

"It is hypocrisy to lecture India on making serious commitments on climate change while at the same time stimying India's ability to produce greenhouse gas-free power," he said.