Australia: no uranium sales to India, despite end of supply ban

Posted 09 9 2008 4:31PM

SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia will not sell uranium to India unless it signs a key non-proliferation pact, despite a decision by nuclear supplier nations to end a ban on trading with New Delhi, a minister said Monday.

Australia's government pledged it would scrap a landmark deal, negotiated by the former conservative administration before it lost power last November, to sell uranium to India for its nuclear energy programme.

"(The government) shouldn't be changing its policy to not supply to countries that are not signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty," said Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean. "India understands that."

The comments came after the United States, which has signed a nuclear technology sharing deal with India, on Saturday persuaded supplier nations to lift a 34-year-old embargo on nuclear trade with India.

The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which controls the export and sale of nuclear technology, reached consensus in Vienna on a one-off waiver of its rules for India, which refuses to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Australia has the world's largest reserves of uranium, which is used as nuclear fuel, but has no nuclear power industry and only operates three yellowcake mines.

But Crean said that while Australia welcomed the safeguards and commitment India has agreed to regarding its civilian nuclear programme, it was in its best interests not to sell yellowcake to a nation that has not signed the NPT.

"I think that we should be using our strength as a supplier of uranium to really ensure that the appropriate safeguard measures are in place," he said.

"(India) hasn't asked for supplies of uranium from us. They've sought our support as a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group but they haven't sought supplies of uranium from us. If they do, they know what our policy is."

Washington wanted a special waiver of the NSG on nuclear trading with India so it can share civilian nuclear technology with New Delhi.

Critics say the deal undermines international non-proliferation efforts and accuse the nuclear powers of pursuing commercial and political gains.