Sydney: Despite a successful visit to India by Australian Prime Minister John Howard, the issue of Canberra exporting uranium to India is hanging in balance.
Howard may have shown some uncharacteristic signs of indecisiveness over the issue of uranium sale to India, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer does not seem to be in any mood to oblige the south Asian economic powerhouse at this stage.
“Australia will maintain its ban on uranium exports to India and other countries, which have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),” Downer said on Sunday.
With the US reportedly showing no concern whether Australia sells uranium to India or not, Downer's position has become even stronger.
His counterpart in the Opposition, Kevin Rudd has also made it clear that Howard's nod to sell uranium to India would undermine the NPT just when the international community is trying to hold Iran to account against the treaty's safeguards.
Greens energy spokeswoman senator Christine Milne is another politician who has come out firing against uranium exports to India. The Australian politician has criticised recent comments by Australia India Business Council chairman Neville Roach that Australia should fall into line with the US policy when finalised.
A number of other politicians have also opposed Australia overturning its policy of not exporting uranium to non-signatories of Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Howard Government is also not oblivious of pros of selling uranium to India.
Analysts say that the bilateral links between the two countries may have reached a new high after John Howard's tour of India, but the resource rich South Pacific country has not been able to decisively tackle the issue of uranium exports to India.
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