Australia's foreign minister, Stephen Smith, has reiterated his country's policy of not selling uranium to India despite being given clearance for nuclear trade by the Nuclear Supplier's Group last week.

Speaking at the Indian Council for World affairs, Mr Smith said it was Australia's policy not to export uranium to a country which has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

"This is not a policy which is aimed at India," he said.

"This is a policy where long-standing, domestic, party political approach has been that we don't export uranium to a country that's not a party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty."

Mr Smith is currently on a five-day official visit to India.