Date:12/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/12/stories/2006051204771500.htm

National

Australia may sell uranium to India

MELBOURNE: Australia would consider selling uranium to India and might change its rules banning such exports to countries that had not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a media report said here on Thursday.

The issue of uranium supply to India came up during the discussion Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran had with an Australian Foreign Ministry delegation last week in New Delhi, The Australian said. The Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), David Ritchie, led the Australian delegation, the report said.

Reciprocity stressed

The report also said that Australia might agree to change its ban on exporting uranium to countries that had not signed the NPT if there was ``suitable reciprocal movement'' from India. India is not a signatory to the NPT.

A spokesperson of DFAT confirmed the meeting but said details of the discussions were confidential. However, she said: ``There are no current intentions to change Australia's long-standing policy of only selling uranium to countries that are party to the nuclear NPT and with which we have a bilateral safeguards agreement.'' — PTI