Sunday, 9 September, 2007

The West

Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile says he is confident Russia will not use Australian uranium for nuclear weapons or sell it to rogue states because President Vladimir Putin gave an unequivocal guarantee it won't.

On the sidelines of the APEC summit, Australia and Russia made a nuclear cooperation agreement that will allow Russia to buy Australian uranium for its expanding atomic energy program.

President Putin promised that Russia would not use Australian uranium for its nuclear weapons program or sell it on to rogue states.

Mr Vaile said he trusted the Russia's president.

"President Putin met with senior members of the government and particularly the prime minister when this was discussed and sat there and gave an unequivocal guarantee - a commitment - that the uranium coming from Australia would be used for peaceful purposes," Mr Vaile told ABC TV.

And, Australia is not the only source of uranium for Russia, he said.

"They have other sources - they don't need Australian uranium for other uses and they will comply with the agreement we put in place."

Mr Vaile said he was also confident Russia would not sell Australian uranium to rogue states, and that would be enforced by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"That is the global watchdog, the monitor if you like, of how uranium is used, how nuclear energy is deployed and developed," he said.

"And we all work very strongly within these international forums to make sure that maintains the power and the surveillance on how uranium is used across the world and how nuclear energy is deployed."