Australia: no uranium to India

`No Uranium supply to India’

Central Chronicle September 25, 2009 United News of India
New Delhi, Sept 24:
Australia today reaffirmed its stand of not supplying uranium to India but said it favoured cooperation in energy sector specifically Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and coal.
Australian High Commissioner to India, Peter Verghese, who presented his credentials to President Pratibha Patil at Rashtrapati Bhavan this morning, said at his first press conference that it was Australia’s long-standing position that flowed from its commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and was not directed against India.
”We do not sell uranium to non-NPT countries…,” said Mr Verghese, whose parents are from Kerala and migrated to Australia in 1942.
India has not signed the NPT.
He, however, said when the Indo-US civil nuclear issue came up at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), notwithstanding its national position, Australia supported India’s exemption.
He said Australia did recognise the importance of the Indo-US nuclear deal and India’s quest for nuclear fuel.
”However, our national policy remains unchanged,” he added. http://www.centralchronicle.com/viewnews.asp?articleID=15403

September 25, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, weapons and war | antinuclear, Australia, nuclear, nuclear weapons