The United States and India have completed negotiations on "arrangements and procedures" for reprocessing U.S.-origin spent nuclear fuel, said the State Department on Monday.

Calling the agreement as an important step toward implementing civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries, the State Department said the arrangement "will enable Indian reprocessing of U.S.-obligated nuclear material under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency."

"Completion of these arrangements will facilitate participation by U.S. firms in India's rapidly expanding civil nuclear energy sector," it added.