Australia Keeps “Open Mind” on U.S.-Indian Deal

Australian leaders are maintaining an “open mind” over whether to allow India an exemption to import uranium from members of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, a step toward implementing a civilian nuclear trade agreement between India and the United States, Australia’s envoy to India said yesterday (see GSN, April 4).

Ambassador John McCarthy said that Australia generally favors policies with a “positive” effect on U.S.-Indian ties, and he had “detected no disposition on the part of the Australian government to impede the (civil nuclear) agreement should it go ahead,” the Hindustan Times reported.

As an NSG member, Australia has the power to veto the waiver, which India needs to import uranium from members of the group because it has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

McCarthy added that Australia has not yet received some details on the nuclear deal, including a pending agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency for inspections of India’s civilian nuclear sites (Amit Baruah, Hindustan Times, April 10).

Meanwhile, New Delhi is in talks with Nambia and Niger about importing uranium from the countries, which are not NSG member states, United Press International reported yesterday.

However, the nations’ membership in the African Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone Treaty might interfere with a potential uranium trade deal, said an Indian Atomic Energy Department official (see GSN, March 27).  Uzbekistan is the only other non-NSG member state that exports uranium in significant quantities (United Press International, April 10).

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