Wednesday, 5 September, 2007

Sydney Morning Herald

The United States has no concerns about Australia selling uranium to Russia for domestic use, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says.

Dr Rice said Russia already had a large stockpile of nuclear weapons, and she rejected fears the uranium could end up in Iranian hands.

"We have been very supportive of Australia's good work in the nuclear area," she told ABC television.

"This isn't an issue for us.

"The Russians have plenty of weapons, let's be realistic about it. The cold war produced more than a surplus."

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Sydney on Friday, the first Russian or Soviet leader to visit Australia.

He will meet Prime Minister John Howard on the morning of his arrival and they are expected to sign a nuclear safeguards deal allowing the export of Australian uranium to Russia for use in its nuclear reactors.

Australia already exports uranium to Russia for processing, but under the current agreement it must be sold on to other countries that Canberra permits.

Dr Rice rejected concerns that Russia could sell uranium to Iran, saying it was a lot closer to the rogue state than was the United States or Australia.

"I really suspect the Russians understand the threat of an uranium nuclear weapon," she said.

"I know they would be very careful about the proliferation of any material to Iran."

Dr Rice said Russia and the United States were already cooperating on the issue of nuclear proliferation.

Mr Putin and US President George W Bush several years ago signed a treaty to reduce their nations' arms, she said.

And the United States wanted to work with Russia over its missile defence system.

"This question of weapons really isn't an issue," she said.