Wednesday, 17 October, 2007

ABC News Online

Federal Trade Minister Warren Truss says if a nuclear accord between the United States and India collapses, Australia can still push ahead with its plans to sell uranium to India.

The Indian Government appears to be backing out of a nuclear cooperation deal it signed with the United States in 2005, because of domestic political opposition.

Mr Truss says such a setback would be disappointing, but Australia could negotiate its own terms for the sale of uranium to India.

"Well we'd have to have satisfactory arrangements in place for safeguards and if in fact, the arrangements that the US were putting in place with India were not to succeed, if they were not to be in place, then there would have to be something as equally substantial to underpin these arrangements," he said.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downers reaffirmed the point Australia will not sell uranium to India unless it complies with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"There will be no Australian uranium sales to India unless certain conditions are met and I've made this point before," he said.

"First of all, the 123 agreement has to be concluded, secondly that has to be accepted by the nuclear suppliers group, thirdly the IAEA has to set up its monitoring system."