Oz likely to drop uranium export ban on India

Melbourne, Dec 16: Australia is contemplating to lift ban on uranium export to India, if India follows equivalent disciplines to meet disarmament obligations, according to a international panel expert report.

The report which was commissioned by Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd along with the prime minister of Japan Yukio Hatoyama, suggested changes in the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

The plan to drop the ban on sale of uranium to India forms part of this new changes.

India, Pakistan and Israel were urged to sign up parallel instruments to safeguard civil nuclear materials from being use for military purposes.

The signing up of the parallel instrument will also help them to gain access to uranium and other nuclear material and technologies, as there were less possibilities of the three nations signing up the Non Proliferation Treaty.

"Provided they satisfy strong objective criteria demonstrating commitment to disarmament and non-proliferation...these states should have access to nuclear materials and technology for civilian purposes on the same basis as an NPT member," the report said.

OneIndia News