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Wednesday, Sep 27, 2006
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Australia mulling civilian nuclear deal with India

CANBERRA: Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer on Tuesday said the Australian Government was considering entering into a deal with India similar to the United States-India civilian nuclear agreement.

Mr. Downer hinted Australia might be willing to consider matching a U.S.-India agreement under which, the U.S. provide India with civil nuclear technology and nuclear fuel on condition that India separates its civil nuclear programs from military ones.

"We'd have to see all of that [U.S.-India deal] in operation to work out whether this was really going to be a satisfactory solution," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio.

"It sounds like, on balance, quite a good idea," he said.

"But whether it would be such a good idea that we would sell uranium to India, I don't know," he added.

Mr. Downer's comments came a day after Australian Prime Minister John Howard said his Government is considering the possibility of selling uranium to India if the South Asian nation can guarantee its use for peaceful purposes. Australia's current policy prohibits the sale of uranium to countries who have not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

India has made it plain that Australia should follow the U.S. to change its policy.

The U.S. Senate is expected to consider soon the nuclear deal with India, which was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives in July. — Xinhua

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