Foreign Correspondence

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Australia yet to decide on N-deal with India
By News Desk .. The Statesman .. 23-01-2008

Australia has said that it would take a decision on the sale of uranium to India after completion of all formalities regarding the Indo-US nuclear deal. Conveying the message, the Australian High Commissioner, John McCarthy said yesterday (January 22) that the sale was a difficult proposition and his government was yet to decide on the matter.

“The 123 agreement is dependent on a number of factors like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approval, approval from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), consent from the US Congress and the domestic political situation in India agreeing to the substance of the deal,” McCarthy added.

“Our position is still to be considered by the ministers. The former Prime Minister John Howard had given his consent to the sale of uranium to India, but this is not the view of the Labour Party,” he added.

The High Commissioner said any decision will depend on the 123 process going through, the need for a change in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Australian government’s view of a change in policy regime.

The Australian foreign minister, Stephen Smith, on 16 January told the former foreign secretary, Shyam Saran, that Canberra would not sell uranium to New Delhi unless it signs NPT. McCarthy said it was difficult to say if the 123 Agreement will materialise, but is proceeding slower than what people had hoped for.

Australia possesses about 40 per cent of the world’s known reserves of uranium and exports the nuclear fuel to 36 countries. Under the NPT, only countries that detonated atomic devices before the treaty was drawn up in 1967 that include the US, Russia, Britain, France and China - can be members of the nuclear weapons club.

There are 184 other countries who are party to the NPT. Only three nations - Pakistan, Israel and North Korea - besides India have not signed the treaty.

“I am sure this deal will make a positive difference to the relation of India and Australia but our stand in unequivocal. Nuclear is a big issue and more so with the Labour party,” the High Commissioner said.

McCarthy, however, said the political dynamism can change and, in the long term, such a deal will be a plus to the relationship between the two countries.

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