Date:09/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/09/stories/2008090950440100.htm

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No uranium for India: Australia

P. S. Suryanarayana

Sale of dual-use material possible

Stephen Smith

SINGAPORE: Australia has ruled out selling uranium to India even after its success in securing an exemption from the export guidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

Having played a positive and constructive role in New Delhi’s favour at the latest NSG meeting, Australia on Monday left an option open for considering the issue of selling dual-use knowhow and materials to India for its civil nuclear energy projects.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told The Hindu here that there was, however, no possibility of Canberra entering into a safeguards agreement with New Delhi on the uranium issue.

Speaking at the Changi airport, prior to his departure for Chennai, where he will begin a five-day visit to India, Mr. Smith said the ruling Australian Labour Party’s long-standing position was not to export uranium to countries that were not parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). India was not a member of the NPT, and he did not propose to ask India to sign the treaty.

Answering questions, Mr. Smith said: “Dual-use technology [of interest to the civilian and defence establishments] is something that I would have a look-at in the context of the detail of the NSG [waiver for India].” However, the “starting point for that would be a request from India or interest by India.” The issue would also be looked at under the prism of Australia’s long-standing export policy.

Implying that it was not a question of Australia not thinking out of the NPT box, he spoke warmly about the whole gamut of bilateral relations with India. And , before his political-level talks in Delhi, he would meet the leaders of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the context of the business and other links of these two states with Australia.

In Chennai, Mr. Smith will visit the MRF Pace Foundation, in whose rise Australia’s cricketing legend Dennis Lillee had played a prime role. Mr. Smith, an avid cricket fan like a number of other Australian leaders, has also commented that India-Australia relationship should be promoted like “a test match, day in, day out” rather than as a 20-20 game.