Australian uranium helping India to develop nuclear weapons?

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s administration has signaled it could be open to easing some of Canberra’s past demands for assurances that Australian-origin uranium not be diverted to nuclear-arms efforts, according to the Times.

Australian Uranium for Indian Nuclear weapons? By Global Security Newswire Staff February 18, 2014 Australia is optimistic it can quickly conclude uranium-export talks with nuclear-armed India, the Times of India reported on Monday.

“We see it as a priority and want to move as quickly as possible,” Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said to journalists as negotiators from the two nations met for a fourth time to discuss the potential nuclear trade agreement. “The political will certainly exists within this government.”…..

Canberra in recent years reversed course on its longstanding position against selling uranium to nations that have not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. India developed nuclear weapons outside the international accord.

Eager to support the uranium-mining industry and deepen strategic ties with Asia’s largest democracy, the Liberal-National government in Canberra since coming to power last fall has worked to speed up the pace of uranium trade talks with New Delhi.

“We have a very strong commitment to making this deal happen,” Australian Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb said. “We want to be seen as a trusted partner of India.”

“The points of difference are narrowing, we have a couple of things to work through,” Bishop said.

Aeronaut comments: Australia’s economic father, People’s Republic of China is going to be deeply pissed off by this. Australia has a clean record on nuclear proliferation, if they decide to change that it will affect their business with China http://defence.pk/threads/australian-uranium-for-indian-nuclear-weapons.300800/