| Submit your comments on this article |
| Down Under |
| Silly not to sell uranium to India: Robb |
| 2008-03-31 |
| The Rudd government will be forced to reverse its "hypocritical" ban on uranium exports to India, the federal opposition says. It described the ban, implemented shortly after Labor won the November federal election, as "stupidity" because Australia freely sold uranium to states such as China and Russia. Opposition foreign affair spokesman Andrew Robb says it is hypocritical to deny India, which has always abided by the rules of non-proliferation despite not being party to international agreements, the benefits of nuclear technology while China gains full access. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's new government made clear to India soon after taking office that it had no intention of changing its policy of only selling uranium to countries which were party to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith passed on this view to Indian special envoy Shyam Saran in January. Mr Robb says he expects the government will be forced ultimately to overturn its decision. "The Rudd government position is wrong and unsustainable," Mr Robb told the Sydney Institute. "The decision also reflects confused and inconsistent policy priorities given that one of Mr Rudd's supposed three pillars of his foreign policy is enhancing relations with Asia. "Ultimately, I expect that the Rudd government will need to reverse this decision not to sell Australian yellowcake to India. "The decision and the amateur way in which the decision was communicated to the Indian government has left a very bitter taste in Indian mouths." The former Howard coalition government agreed in August last year to sell uranium to India subject to the finalisation of a US-India nuclear technology exchange deal and the conclusion of a bilateral Australia-India safeguards agreement. "It was proposed that Australia sell uranium to India according to the identical strict safeguards under which we sell uranium to China and Russia," Mr Robb said. "In years gone by, China has sold nuclear technology to Pakistan and North Korea - unlike India which has abided by the NPT obligations, even from the outside." It would be "highly hypocritical" to deny India - provided it fully met agreed conditions - the technology while China benefited from full nuclear access. India and Australia were two great democracies sharing the common values and interests of democracies, Mr Robb said. "This is a critical moment in seeking to cement an Australian-Indian strategic partnership - a relationship of great importance to Australia's interests and Australia's future. "It is a strategic partnership that can be built around the challenge of energy in an energy-hungry world, while simultaneously addressing two of the great challenges of our time - climate change and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons." |
| Posted by:john frum |