Australia may lift ban on uranium supply to India

Natasha Chaku
Melbourne, Dec 16 (PTI) Australia, home to the world's
largest uranium reserves, could drop its ban on selling the
yellowcake to India after a panel commissioned by Prime
Minister Kevin Rudd and his Japanese counterpart Yukio
Hotoyama recommended changes to the nuclear non-proliferation
regime.
Adopting a fresh approach, the International Commission
on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament suggested that
Australia could give India access to its uranium provided
"equivalent disciplines" were applied to help meet disarmament
obligations.
Australia's uranium reserves are the world's largest,
accounting for 23 per cent of the total.
The panel's report suggested that three nations not
covered by NPT treaty -- India, Pakistan and Israel-- should
sign up to "parallel instruments" designed to ensure they did
not divert civilian nuclear materials to military use that
will pave the way for them to access uranium and other nuclear
materials and technology.
Australia has refused to sell uranium to India because
New Delhi has not signed Non-proliferation Treaty, the main
international pact to limit the spread of nuclear weapons.
The Rudd Government angered India soon after coming to
power in 2007 when it abandoned a John Howard-era deal to
supply yellowcake to India.
Suggestions in the report - released by Rudd and Hotoyama
Tuesday in Tokyo - could resolve this impasse. (More) PTI