By Xinhua
Canberra : Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has expressed confidence that the Labour government’s strict policy on uranium sales won’t affect its relationship with India.
“Australia’s relationship with India and further progress in that relationship does not depend on uranium sales,” the Australian Associated Press quoted the minister as saying Sunday.
Last week, Smith told visiting Indian special envoy Shyam Saran that the Labour government will not change its long-standing policy of not selling uranium to countries that are not nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) members.
“India is aware of the government’s policy to supply uranium only to countries which are members of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty,” Smith said.
The former Howard government agreed in-principle last year to sell uranium to India, based upon the landmark agreement.
But the foreign minister isn’t concerned at the setback for India and signalled stronger ties with the economic powerhouse as one of its top foreign policy priorities.