Australia Restores Uranium Ban to India

Australia’s newly elected leadership has opted to cancel a decision by the previous government to sell uranium to India, Agence France-Presse reported today (see GSN, Aug. 16, 2007).

Former Prime Minister John Howard announced last year that Australia would exempt India from the nation’s nuclear nonproliferation rules and sell uranium to New Delhi if a similar deal with the United States advanced (see GSN, Jan. 14).

The new leadership, however, has chosen to adhere to Australia’s long-standing policy of barring nuclear sales to nations outside the traditional nonproliferation regime.

“It's a long-standing commitment of the Australian Labor Party that we don't authorize the export of uranium to countries who are not parties to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty,” said Foreign Minister Stephen Smith.  “India is a nation state that is not a party to the Nonproliferation Treaty.  I don't think there's any expectation in the international community that it will become a member.”

Smith made the announcement after meeting with visiting Indian envoy Shyam Saran.

Still, “the Australian government is very much looking forward to taking the relationship with India to an even better level,” he said.

Meanwhile, India reached out this week for general nuclear support from China

“India seeks international cooperation in the field of civilian nuclear energy, including with China,” said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during visit to China.  “The rapid growth of India and China will lead to expanding demand for energy.  We have no choice but to widen our options for energy availability and develop viable strategies for energy security” (Agence France-Presse/Spacewar.com, Jan. 15)

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