Australia discontinues supply of uranium to India

Australia has specifically denied on Tuesday of selling uranium to India owing to its not signing Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith conveyed to Shyam Saran, a special envoy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in their talks held in Perth that since India is not a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferaion Treaty, so the Labour Party government is not able to continuing previous government’s policy of selling uranium even to the countries, who are not the member of NPT.

The move has been taken to keep the newly elected Labour Party’s election promise and he was only reiterating government’s policies on uranium sales, said the Australian Foreign Minister.

The newly elected Labour Party government headed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, which came into power in November last year not only defeated the previous Liberal Party government headed by Prime Minister John Howard but also overturned his policy of selling uranium to India.

It was just a year ago in 2007, when John Howard’s government had reversed the long-standing policy of not selling uranium to countries outside the NPT, when it made a deal with India to sell it uranium.

By that time in justifying his move, John Howard had said that it would bring India into the nuclear mainstream and restrict its fossil fuel emissions.

It is to be noted here that world’s 40% of the uranium resources so far known has been owned by Australia, which sell the product to over 30 countries under strict condition.

The NPT members at the time of signing treaty pledged not to develop nuclear arms and the treaty also commits the US and other nuclear powers to eliminate their arsenals under the treaty of 1968.

Saran emphasised “India's view that, despite not having been a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, that there has been no proliferation of nuclear expertise or materials from India to third parties.''

In response Smith said “That was the view put to me by the Indian government and I responded in what I think is best described as our traditional response and our traditional approach."

Despite the hot debate Smith described to the media his talks with Saran held in friendly and candid environment and it was a good and friendly meeting. “Besides, we also discussed on bilateral trade and the recent cricket dispute between the two nations,” he said.