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Former Oz PM supports Govt's move to sell uranium to India
Welcoming the moves by current Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard to lift the ban on sale of uranium to India, her predecessor John Howard on Saturday said if had he been re-elected in 2007, his country would have been selling uranium to India.
He also reiterated what Gillard said recently. "It always seemed absurd that we could sell uranium to China and Russia, but could not sell uranium to the largest democracy in the world (India)," he maintained.
Voicing disappointment over the loss of four years in the process, he said, "I strongly support the indication given by the current Australian Government that it would lift the ban that was placed under suspension on uranium exports to India," he said, adding, "The consequent Government changed that, but I am very pleased that they are coming back."
Gillard's Labour Party, which came to power in December 2007, had overturned Howard's moves to lift the ban citing that India was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Howard recalled how he had reached an understanding with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on sale (of uranium) during his visit to India in 2006 and accordingly announced his intention to change the policy next year.
Acknowledging the fact that trade in uranium could not take place as India was not a signatory to the NPT, Howard said, "But there are ways to replicate the non-proliferation treaty outside the original treaty. That is what we were planning to do."
The former Prime Minister said the Labour Party's fresh indication on policy change would lead to bipartisan efforts in Australia on the issue.
Australia has 38 percent of the world's uranium resources which could be easily recovered. "Australia is a reliable supplier," he added.
Australia's Labour Party is expected to vote tomorrow at its convention on Gillard's proposal for overturning the uranium ban on India. India has launched massive expansion of its nuclear power generation capacity to take it from 4,780 MW at present to 63,000 MW by 2032.
Welcoming the moves by current Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard to lift the ban on sale of uranium to India, her predecessor John Howard on Saturday said if had he been re-elected in 2007, his country would have been selling uranium to India.
He also reiterated what Gillard said recently. "It always seemed absurd that we could sell uranium to China and Russia, but could not sell uranium to the largest democracy in the world (India)," he maintained.
Voicing disappointment over the loss of four years in the process, he said, "I strongly support the indication given by the current Australian Government that it would lift the ban that was placed under suspension on uranium exports to India," he said, adding, "The consequent Government changed that, but I am very pleased that they are coming back."
Gillard's Labour Party, which came to power in December 2007, had overturned Howard's moves to lift the ban citing that India was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Howard recalled how he had reached an understanding with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on sale (of uranium) during his visit to India in 2006 and accordingly announced his intention to change the policy next year.
Acknowledging the fact that trade in uranium could not take place as India was not a signatory to the NPT, Howard said, "But there are ways to replicate the non-proliferation treaty outside the original treaty. That is what we were planning to do."
The former Prime Minister said the Labour Party's fresh indication on policy change would lead to bipartisan efforts in Australia on the issue.
Australia has 38 percent of the world's uranium resources which could be easily recovered. "Australia is a reliable supplier," he added.
Australia's Labour Party is expected to vote tomorrow at its convention on Gillard's proposal for overturning the uranium ban on India. India has launched massive expansion of its nuclear power generation capacity to take it from 4,780 MW at present to 63,000 MW by 2032.
