Ukraine could in 2016 sign commercial agreements for the purchase of Australian uranium concentrate, Ukrainian Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Volodymyr Demchyshyn has stated.

"At this stage such an agreement is the first step. It must be ratified by the parliament of Australia, but in the future this will allow to sign commercial agreements with Australian companies. They have four mines that produce uranium, it is quite a big manufacturer and supplier of uranium concentrate in the world," he told reporters in Washington.

The minister forecasts this process will take some time.

"I am convinced that next year we are likely to come closer to signing commercial agreements. We thought about 300-600 tonnes per year. We are ready to buy up to 25% of raw uranium we use," the minister added.

As reported, Ukrainian Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Volodymyr Demchyshyn and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in nuclear energy use for peaceful purposes in Washington on March 31.