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13 Jan, 2012, 1734 hrs IST, IANS
SYDNEY: Prime Minister Julia Gillard has reiterated that Australia will not
agree to export uranium to Pakistan,
which is imploring Canberra to make a
similar policy change as done recently
for India.
This policy is an exception which
recognises the compelling rationale
and national interest for a change in
relation to India only, Gillard told IANS
in an interview. "In the case of
Pakistan, the issue does not arise as it
does not have an exemption from the
Nuclear Suppliers Group," she said.
Gillard also indicated that the US might
have played a significant role in
Australia overturning the ban on the
sale of nuclear fuel to India.
"Not selling uranium to India made
sense when it was part of a widely-
supported international strategy to
bring New Delhi into the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)," she said in
answer to a question about the
primary reason behind the lifting of the
ban. "But the US-India civil nuclear
agreement of 2007 changed that
strategy," Gillard added.
Against that background, it made little
sense for Australia to stand alone as a
country that would not consider
nuclear trade with India, said the
country's first woman prime minister.
Gillard has been lauded by some
sections of the Australian media for
the resolute posture she took while
persuading the Labor National
Conference to overturn the decades
old ban on uranium exports to India.
Australia does not sell uranium to
nuclear power countries which have
declined to sign the NPT.
The exception made in India was not
only due to the US prodding but also
because of close links between the two
prominent democracies, she said.
A number of Australian political
observers have been criticising the ban
for hampering the relations with India.
Australia and India have strong and
deep ties from trade and investment
to education and science, Gillard said.
"We also share significant people-to-people links that underscore the
closeness and warmth of our relations.
Yet, despite these links, in one
important regard we had treated India
differently in relation to selling uranium
for peaceful purposes."
The Labor Party has been debating the
uranium trading ban since 1977 but
had failed to reach consensus to allow
any such export till National
Conference in Sydney in December.
There was a genuine, passionate
debate around the issue, Gillard said.
The lifting of the ban just over a
month back has seen a perceptible
change in attitude in New Delhi as far
as Australia is concerned. Gillard
hoped that bilateral ties with
Australia's fourth largest trading
partner would continue to grow.
"The breadth and potential of our
relationship is enormous as we
continue to strengthen our ties.
Together, we have a bright future
ahead in this Asian Century," she said.
No Australian uranium for Pakistan: Julia Gillard-Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times on Mobile
SYDNEY: Prime Minister Julia Gillard has reiterated that Australia will not
agree to export uranium to Pakistan,
which is imploring Canberra to make a
similar policy change as done recently
for India.
This policy is an exception which
recognises the compelling rationale
and national interest for a change in
relation to India only, Gillard told IANS
in an interview. "In the case of
Pakistan, the issue does not arise as it
does not have an exemption from the
Nuclear Suppliers Group," she said.
Gillard also indicated that the US might
have played a significant role in
Australia overturning the ban on the
sale of nuclear fuel to India.
"Not selling uranium to India made
sense when it was part of a widely-
supported international strategy to
bring New Delhi into the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)," she said in
answer to a question about the
primary reason behind the lifting of the
ban. "But the US-India civil nuclear
agreement of 2007 changed that
strategy," Gillard added.
Against that background, it made little
sense for Australia to stand alone as a
country that would not consider
nuclear trade with India, said the
country's first woman prime minister.
Gillard has been lauded by some
sections of the Australian media for
the resolute posture she took while
persuading the Labor National
Conference to overturn the decades
old ban on uranium exports to India.
Australia does not sell uranium to
nuclear power countries which have
declined to sign the NPT.
The exception made in India was not
only due to the US prodding but also
because of close links between the two
prominent democracies, she said.
A number of Australian political
observers have been criticising the ban
for hampering the relations with India.
Australia and India have strong and
deep ties from trade and investment
to education and science, Gillard said.
"We also share significant people-to-people links that underscore the
closeness and warmth of our relations.
Yet, despite these links, in one
important regard we had treated India
differently in relation to selling uranium
for peaceful purposes."
The Labor Party has been debating the
uranium trading ban since 1977 but
had failed to reach consensus to allow
any such export till National
Conference in Sydney in December.
There was a genuine, passionate
debate around the issue, Gillard said.
The lifting of the ban just over a
month back has seen a perceptible
change in attitude in New Delhi as far
as Australia is concerned. Gillard
hoped that bilateral ties with
Australia's fourth largest trading
partner would continue to grow.
"The breadth and potential of our
relationship is enormous as we
continue to strengthen our ties.
Together, we have a bright future
ahead in this Asian Century," she said.
No Australian uranium for Pakistan: Julia Gillard-Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times on Mobile
