Mo12
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- May 8, 2011
- Messages
- 2,643
- Reaction score
- -15
MARK COLVIN: Pakistan says that if Australia sells uranium to India, it too should be eligible for exports of the product. India's chief rival is also a nuclear power and, like India, a non-signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Pakistan says it could use Australian uranium to boost its civilian nuclear power program. And its High Commissioner to Australia says it would be discrimination to sell to India and not to Pakistan.
Michael Edwards reports.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Much of Pakistan's foreign and military policy is driven by a rivalry, some say fear, of its nearest neighbour and biggest enemy, India.
It says it's not against uranium sales to India but that if they do go ahead they should also be available to Pakistan, whose High Commissioner to Australia is Abdul Malik Abdullah.
ABDUL MALIK ABDULLAH: In the past when US/India nuclear deal had taken place, we feel that Pakistan was discriminated against. And we hope that this time, given our very strong and cordial relationship with Australia, Pakistan would not be discriminated against.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Pakistan's atomic program began in earnest after India conducted its first nuclear test in 1974. It tested its first bomb in 1998. It's also expanding its civilian nuclear power program.
High Commissioner Abdullah says for this purpose Australian uranium would be very helpful.
ABDUL MALIK ABDULLAH: We are suffering huge power outages right now and Pakistan is expanding its civilian nuclear power generation's program. So we have not made any requests for import of uranium from Australia so far but we will like to avail this option in the future if the need arises.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: That's unlikely. Pakistan has a reputation as a rogue state when it comes to nuclear weapons.
Dr Andrew Davies is an expert on nuclear proliferation from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
ANDREW DAVIES: Pakistan has been one of the worst behaved countries in terms of promulgating nuclear technologies beyond its borders. There was a network run by the scientist AQ Khan out of Pakistan that was responsible for some of the worst proliferation excesses that we've seen in the last decade or two.
So I think that's a good enough reason not to include Pakistan in the same sort of deal.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Like Pakistan, India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. New signatories to the NPT must give up their nuclear weapons, which India refuses to do in light of its concerns about Pakistan and China.
But India took a big step towards legitimacy by signing a nuclear deal with the United States in 2008 which parallel the conditions of the NPT.
Critics say it undermined the NPT but Andrew Davies says it was a big vote of confidence that India is a reliable nuclear country.
ANDREW DAVIES: The United States and Canada as well have made the judgement that India's behaviour is such that they can be brought into the fold in the international nuclear community.
I think that's a reasonable argument and I think if India was prepared to sign the Test Ban Treaty that would only strengthen that argument.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: And it's a view shared by the Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Today she expressed her confidence in India when it comes to nuclear issues.
JULIA GILLARD: When you look at other nations, you know, whether it be Pakistan or Israel, they are not in that same class.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Uranium exports would provide a big boost for Australia-India relations.
The ban has been a big source of tension. On a trip to Australia in January, India's foreign minister SM Krishna pointedly raised the issue with his counterpart Kevin Rudd.
SOMANAHALLI MALLAIAH KRISHNA: We certainly need uranium but we respect Australia's position on this because it is not India-centric. Across the world, they have taken their decision and I would only plead.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Those arguments would be over if the ban is lifted.
Brahma Chellaney is professor of Strategic Studies at the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research.
BRAHMA CHELLANEY: The issue was not so much supply from Australia, given the fact that India already has access to uranium from different suppliers, from Kazakhstan to Canada, and India at present has adequate stocks of uranium. The issue became one of principle.
The fact that Australia was willing to sell uranium to China without international safeguards in the sense that Australian uranium to China can easily go into weapons' program because there is no international inspection on the actual shipment after it arrives in China.
On the other hand Australia was prohibiting the sale of uranium to India. So this became an important issue, an irritant, in the bilateral relationship. And now that this issue is going to be resolved I think the relationship can move forward.
MARK COLVIN: Professor Brahma Chellaney ending Michael Edwards' report.]
PM - Pakistan says it should be allowed to buy uranium 15/11/2011
Pakistan shouldn't be allowed to get uranium just because India can(according to latest news from Aus PM). Just like how Kenya shouldnt get a UNSC seat just because Russia has one.
