"We have agreed to cooperate in civilian nuclear energy," Singh said at a press conference after a summit with his British counterpart Tony Blair in the city of Udaipur in India's western desert state of Rajasthan.

"On strategic issues we discussed the vital needs for energy security ... for India's need for atomic energy," Singh said.

"I mentioned to the prime minister that the understanding we reached with President Bush recently would require modification in the rules of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in meeting India's requirements of expanded trade in civilian nuclear areas," he added.

US President George W. Bush during a meeting with Singh in Washington on July 18 agreed to help energy-starved India develop its civilian nuclear energy programme even though New Delhi has not signed the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The Nuclear Suppliers Group, which comprises about 30 countries including Britain, France and the United States, has in the past excluded assistance to countries that have not signed the NPT but Bush argued that cleaner energy resources including nuclear power were vital for the future of India's economy.

"Britain recognises the need for a supportive international environment to meeting our pressing energy requirements," Singh said during Thursday's press conference in New Delhi. "The prime minister (Blair) was very supportive of India's concerns in this regard."

A statement from the British high commission (embassy) said the accord on oil and gas "will further strengthen India and Britain's links in this sector and lead to greater cooperation".

"The accord will also assist more British and Indian oil and gas firms to develop indigenous oil and gas resources," it added.

At their meeting in Udaipur, Singh and Blair also discussed climate change and global warming, a spokesman for Blair said.

India had stressed it had problems with the Kyoto Protocol to tackle global warming but that New Delhi recognised the need to deal with the issue.

Blair and others are keen to enlist the support of India and China in the battle against climate change due to concerns that any reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the West will be more than offset by pollution from the booming industries of the emerging economic giants.

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