Australia Denies Plans to Sell Uranium to India

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer again denied that his country intends to sell uranium to India, the Australian Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Sept. 25).

“We’re not planning to sell uranium to India,” he said.  “It’s not really an issue we’ve given any consideration to in the last few weeks or months.”

Downer said there was no connection between his statement and North Korea’s apparent test Monday of a nuclear weapon (see related GSN story, today).

“What’s it got to do with India?  North Korea and India have nothing to do with each other,” he said.

One expert said the reported nuclear test could make it hard for Australia to reverse its policy prohibiting uranium sales to countries that are not party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

“I don’t think there’s any logical nexus between North Korea having a nuclear test and sensible discussion on who we should sell uranium to, in terms of China too,” (see GSN, April 3) said Andrew Davies of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.  “But I think it will make it more difficult (to change the policy) because it’s such an emotive subject” (Australian Associated Press/Sydney Morning Herald, Oct. 11).

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