australians still won't sell uranium to india

jan 19th, 2011

this is the fundamental flaw of the 'nuclear deal': instead of being slave to OPEC, now you are slave to the likes of australia and canada who have uranium. 

in general, australia is a lightweight in world affairs, even though it has a large territory. the fact that they push india around so much is evidence of the fact that india is still a non-entity, despite all the hoo-haa about growth. 

i am sure there is something australia wants that india produces. if there isn't let's create something like that -- perhaps rare-earths? then hold them hostage just like the chinese recently held japan hostage. 

kevin rudd is a known boot-licker of the chinese, so no chance he'll ever agree to sell uranium to india, unless some suitable pain is applied to his broad behind in other ways. 

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/no-change-in-ban-on-uranium-sales-to-india-20110119-19w5x.html

No change in ban on uranium sales to India

Adam Gartrell, AAP Diplomatic Correspondent

January 19, 2011 - 7:39PM

AAP

The federal government has told India it won't lift its ban on uranium sales to the South Asian giant.

India's foreign Minister SM Krishna met with Resources Minister Martin Ferguson in Melbourne on Wednesday to discuss a range of energy sector issues.

Mr Krishna was expected to lobby Mr Ferguson to reconsider Labor's ban on uranium sales to his country.

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Labor refuses to sell uranium to India because it has not signed the United Nations Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Mr Ferguson said he welcomed Mr Krishna's visit.

"Regarding the export of uranium to India, the policy of the Australian government is clear - we will only supply uranium to countries that are signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and have signed a bilateral agreement with Australia," he said.

"This is not a policy specific to India, it applies equally to all countries."

Anti-nuclear campaigners said any change in the government's policy would be a mistake.

Overturning the ban would reward India's nuclear proliferation and undermine the NPT, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons Australia Chair Tilman Ruff said.

"Selling uranium to India runs counter to Australia's and global security interests, and would undermine Australia's stated support for achieving a world without nuclear weapons," he said.

Mr Krishna will meet Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd for the seventh Foreign Ministers Framework Dialogue on Thursday.

Mr Rudd said Australia's relationship with India was one of its most important.

"India is the world's largest democracy and a major power," he said.

"This annual minister-level dialogue is testament to the strength of the bilateral political and economic relationship."

A key focus of the talks will be moves toward a new regional architecture, piracy, people smuggling and education.

Mr Krishna's last visit to Australia, in 2009, came in the wake of a series of high-profile attacks on Indian university students.

The attacks were a major contributor to a subsequent drop in Indian student numbers.

Mr Krishna returns to India on Friday. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to visit Australia later in 2011.