Australia reiterates opposition on sale of uranium to India

Canberra: The Australian government has reiterated that it doesn't intend to export uranium to India. According to minister for resources, energy and tourism, Martin Ferguson, nuclear material could be supplied only to countries which met a set of pre-determined criteria.

''The Australian government's policy is to supply uranium to those countries that are parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and have an additional protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and with which Australia has a bilateral nuclear safeguards agreement,'' he said.

Ferguson was explaining his government's policy on what he described as a sensitive issue to a group of Pakistani journalists on Wednesday.

Ferguson, who was in New Delhi last week, said he had signed an agreement on renewable energy with India that was aimed at ending shortages in the country.

He said former Australian prime minister John Howard had agreed to consider sale of uranium to India but this decision was reversed by Labour prime minister, Kevin Rudd, after assuming office in 2008.

 ''We are well-placed in the current energy dialogue with our resource base and experience in renewable energy options,'' he said.

Australia is the world's eighth largest producer of energy and its energy sector has been growing at more than 4 per cent annually for the past decade.