The Hindu Business Line : Australia not to sell uranium to India

Chennai, Feb. 6 Australia will not sell uranium to India unless the latter becomes a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT). This, however, does not mean that Australia will take a negative position at the Nuclear Suppliers Group if and when India’s nuclear deal with the US comes up for discussion, according to Mr John McCarthy, Australian High Commissioner to India.

Speaking at a public lecture organised by the Centre for Security Analysis here on Wednesday, Mr McCarthy took great pains to put the Australian Government’s decision in perspective. The new Labour government of Mr Kevin Rudd has decided to revert to Australia’s 30-year old policy of not exporting uranium to non-NPT signatory countries.

The Conservative Party Government of Mr John Howard, which was voted out in the November elections, had said that it would review the old policy subject to the happening of certain events such as the conclusion of the 123 Agreement between India and the US, its ratification by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and approval from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

What Mr Rudd’s Government has now decided is that irrespective of what transpires between India and the US or at the IAEA and NSG, it will revert to the old policy of not exporting uranium to non-NPT signatory countries, Mr McCarthy said.

A rider

However, he added a rider saying: “You can never say never in politics; however, the present position is this.” Mr McCarthy said that the issue of supplying uranium to India was separate from what position Australia would take at the NSG if and when the Indo-US agreement comes up before it.

“This relates to our position on supply of our uranium to India. This does not indicate our position in NSG. Australia has simply not taken a decision on our position at the NSG,” Mr McCarthy said.

Trade ties

He was of the view that the uranium issue will not have an impact on the upward direction in ties between India and Australia. Mr McCarthy said that Australia would like to see India become a member of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and pointed out that trade between the two countries ($8.5 billion) exceeds that between India and Japan in value.

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