Australian Opposition vows to sell uranium to India

Natasha Chaku
Melbourne, Aug 12 (PTI) Australian opposition Liberal
party running neck to neck in the race for forming the new
government has said it favours uranium exports and greater
engagement with India, if elected to power.
Cautioning against over-reliance on China, which is
currently Australia's biggest trading partner, the Liberal
party leader Tony Abbott said he also favours resuming a Free
Trade Agreement and greater defence co-operation with New
Delhi.
Charging that the ruling Labour government had "badly
mishandled" relations with India, Abbott said, "One of the
best things that we could do to boost our relationship with
the region is to sell them uranium."
While in a poll warm-up television clash with Foreign
Minister Stephen Smith, the shadow Liberal minister, Julie
Bishop announced "We will reinstate the in-principle decision
to sell uranium to India as well as resume the Free Trade
Agreement."
Australia has 40 per cent of the world's uranium reserves
but, the Labour government has stoutly refused to sell uranium
to India saying that India wasn't a signatory to the nuclear
non-proliferation treaty.
Key beneficiaries of a Liberal election win and push for
uranium exports to India, are likely to include mining giants
Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton.
Rio owns 68 per cent of Energy Resources of Australia and
operates the Ranger uranium mine in Northern Territory, while
BHP owns the Olympic Dam uranium mine in South Australia.
Describing India as one of the "coming super powers," the
Opposition leader Abbott said, "It is obviously going to have
a very important place in our region as well as in the world."
While declaring that US and Indonesia would be at the
centre of his new foreign policy, the Liberal leader at the
same time called for greater engagement with India, which is
currently Australia's eighth largest trading partner.
The Liberal leaders also saw India as a natural maritime
partner of Australia, while calling for scaling down of
engagement with China. PTI NC
MYR