Rudd govt backs US-India nuclear deal

The federal government says it will endorse a plan for the United States to share nuclear fuel and technology with India, but will not change its view on the sale of uranium.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says the decision to support the plan does not suggest the Rudd government has relaxed its stance against the sale of uranium to India.

Australia has a long-standing policy of not selling uranium to countries, such as
India, that have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board is meeting in Vienna to decide
whether to endorse a plan which under which the US will share nuclear fuel and
technology with India.
The agreement will allow the US to sell nuclear plants and related technology to
India once it has separated its civil and military programs and accepted a certain
level of UN inspections.
Mr Smith said Australia - one of the 35 IAEA board members - would not stand in the
way of the US-India agreement.
"... The Australian government has formed the view that the safeguards agreement is
a positive step which will strengthen nuclear non-proliferation efforts and is
consistent with the non-proliferation objectives of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty," Mr Smith said in a statement.
But Mr Smith said the decision would not change Labor's position on the sale of
uranium.
"It has no effect, nor does it require a change to the Australian Labor Party's
long-standing approach of not exporting uranium to a country that's not a party to
the (NPT)," he told ABC Radio.
"If we were to change our policy approach on uranium it would seriously undermine
the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ... we want that treaty to be enhanced."
Mr Smith said Australia, which has the world's largest known reserves of uranium,
would continue to encourage all countries, including India, to join the NPT.
Australia is also a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) which later this
month will consider its approach to the pact between the US and India.
Mr Smith said Australia would approach the discussions in the NSG in the same
positive and constructive manner that it approached the IAEA deliberations.
"We'll take a positive and constructive approach and we will certainly have
non-proliferation considerations uppermost in mind," he said.
"But we will also take into account the strategic importance of the arrangement to
both India and the United States."
He said the decision taken by Australia at the IAEA meeting did not guarantee the
same outcome at NSG talks.
"We will treat the thing on its merits," Mr Smith said.