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Australia ready to sell uranium

MANILA: Australia has declared its intention to sell uranium to India by negotiating a “nuclear safeguards agreement” like the one it has with China.

This was indicated by Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer in response to questions from The Hindu on the sidelines of a series of multilateral meetings that ended here on Thursday under the auspices of the Association of So uth East Asian Nations.

The Australian Cabinet would consider uranium exports to India, deriving “some comfort” from New Delhi’s “non-proliferation credentials.”

Australia, with vast reserves of uranium, is a major supplier of the material that is needed for nuclear power generation. And, Canberra’s recent accord with Beijing has a non-proliferation icing on the cake, as seen from an Australian perspective, despite China’s status as a designated nuclear-armed state under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Asked whether Australia would support India in its bid to secure suitable amendments to the guidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Mr. Downer said: “The 123 Agreement [between India and the United States] seems a very good step forward. India has no record of being a proliferator of nuclear materials of any kind. In fact, India, although not a member of the NPT, has a strong record in the area of non-proliferation.”

To a query whether Canberra would simply want India to swim against the current in the NSG, Mr. Downer said he would wish “good luck’ to those Indians who might want New Delhi to accede to the NPT. And, although Canberra would “favour” India abandoning its nuclear weapons programme, “that is not going to happen,” he noted.

“What is the second best? And, that is what the Americans have come up with — to subject [India’s] civil nuclear power programme to International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspections, rules, regulations.”

Against this new background, Australia “would have to negotiate with India a nuclear safeguards agreement.” Mr. Downer said: “It would certainly be similar to the one we have with China [for uranium supplies]. That would be similar to the one we have with the United Kingdom, France, the United States, and a number of other countries.”

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