Aussie uranium 'won't be used for weapons' in India
Posted 4 hours 3 minutes ago Updated 1 hour 10 minutes ago
Federal Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane has guaranteed that any uranium sold to India would not be used in the production of weapons.
Cabinet is expected to consider a submission within weeks to let India buy Australian uranium, but the Federal Opposition is worried about the move because India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
But Mr Macfarlane says there would be strict checks on the use of the uranium.
"There would be only one way we would sell uranium to India and that would be on the basis that it was only used for the generation of electricity," he said.
"It would be under an inspection regime, and would be done in a way to ensure that while the Indians were able to generate electricity and thus lower their greenhouse gas emissions, that it was done in a way that the uranium was only used to generate electricity."
Federal Treasurer Peter Costello has also told Southern Cross radio the Government will look at the issue very carefully before changing its policy.
"I would want to know that there are very strict safeguards in place before we sold to any country which was outside the Non-Proliferation Treaty," he said.
But Greenpeace says Australia will contribute to regional instability if it sells uranium to India.
Greenpeace spokesman Steve Shallhorn says exporting Australian uranium for energy generation would let India use its own domestic uranium for its illegal weapons program.
"Encouraging other countries to have nuclear weapons in order to make a few bucks is really a very bad idea," he said.
"It is short sighted and it's something that will come back and bite us in the future.
"The border situation between India and Pakistan is unstable at best. Both countries have nuclear weapons."
Tags: nuclear-issues, government-and-politics, federal-government, australia, india