'Uranium sale to India to make world safer'

Sydney, Aug 14: Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has said that selling uranium to India would make world a safer place.

"I don't think there is a risk. India has nuclear weapons. I think the reverse in fact is the case - that the more you can get the India nuclear programme - civil nuclear programme under UN inspections - under the UN protocols of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the better," Downer said.

"I think that creates a safer and more secure environment for those power stations. That it has got nuclear weapons already, that is a done deal. They don't need Australian uranium for that - they've done it already," he added.

Downer said selling uranium to other countries would also bring environmental benefits, by reducing their reliance on coal for energy generation.

He will recommend the change to a meeting of cabinet's national security committee today.

If the committee approves Downer's submission, it would herald a radical shift in Australia's foreign policy, which currently prevents uranium sales to countries that have not signed the treaty on nuclear non-proliferation, The Age reported.

Downer said Australia would negotiate a nuclear safeguards agreement with India before any sales proceeded.

"Any uranium that would be exported to India would have to be subject to International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring and so would the nuclear power plants that the uranium was used for," he claimed.

ANI
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