By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Australia has ruled out uranium sale to New Delhi but is keen to develop strategic partnership and ensure that India becomes a “front-ranking” nation with which it has such ties.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said her country wants to build defence and security ties with India.
“We understand that energy security is important for India… (But) we have a longstanding position about uranium sales and nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT),” she told PTI in an interview here while explaining why Australia will not supply the nuclear fuel to India.
Australia has taken a position that it will not supply uranium to a country which has not signed NPT.
“We do have this longstanding in-principle position about sale of uranium to non-NPT countries… That is not policy that is focus in relation to India, that is general policy,” said Gillard during her just-concluded visit here.