China uranium deal close
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18462045%255E1702,00.html
AUSTRALIA expects to sign an agreement soon on selling uranium to China
for its nuclear energy programme after negotiations aimed at preventing
its use in weapons, a spokeswoman for the Government said today.
News of the breakthrough comes just a week after Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh asked his visiting Australian counterpart, John Howard,
to reconsider a ban on exporting uranium to India.
Australia refuses to sell uranium to countries which, like India, have not signed
the nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty.
While Prime Minister John Howard appeared at one stage to indicate that India's
recent agreement on nuclear cooperation with the United States could lead to a
review of that policy, the Government's stand at the moment is that there will be
no change.
"We don't have any intention at this stage to change our policy in relation to
uranium exports to those three countries, which are India, Pakistan and Israel,
that haven't signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," Foreign Minister
Alexander Downer told ABC television on Sunday.
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