Saturday, 18 August, 2007

The Border Mail

THE Federal Government hopes to sign an agreement with Russia at next month’s APEC summit to sell uranium to the former Cold War enemy.

News of the deal comes a day after Prime Minister John Howard struck a conditional agreement to sell the nuclear fuel to India.

While federal Labor has vowed to tear up the Indian deal, it has given tacit backing for selling uranium to Russian.

That is because Russia is at least a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Mr Howard and Russian President Vladimir Putin could finalise a deal in Sydney next month.

“We would hope to sign the agreement when President Putin is here,” Mr Downer said.

Mr Howard said: “I am sure the issue will come up when he is in Sydney at the APEC meeting.”

The Federal Government started working with Russia in April.