Doorstop interview – Taj Connamera Hotel, Chennai, India

QUESTION: Do you think the Australian government’s stated position on not exporting uranium to India will change at some point?

SMITH: Well firstly Australia took a positive and constructive approach at the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors meeting and also the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a very positive and very constructive approach to the decision to allow the India-US civil nuclear energy arrangement.

I welcome very much the consensus that emerged in the NSG. I think this reflects a number of things. I think it reflects the fact that the world now sees India rising as a great power, it acknowledges that. I think it also acknowledges that whilst India is not party to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, no one can point to any instance of proliferation occurring from India to another nation state or another entity. I also think my counterpart, External Affairs Minister Mukerjhee’s statement on the 5th of September, reinforcing a range of India’s policy positions, no testing, no first use, this was also very important. So I welcome the decision.

When it comes to Australia’s export of uranium to India, just as India has a long standing party and public policy position of not joining the nuclear-non proliferation treaty, so Australia has a long standing party and policy position of not exporting uranium to a country that is not a member or party to the nuclear non proliferation treaty. That is something that both of our nations know well. This is not something that is aimed at India, it is a long standing party policy position of not exporting uranium to a country that is not party to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

QUESTION: [inaudible] Would you be able to do transfer, dual-technology, people have been talking about, do you think that would come in course?

SMITH: Well under the NSG arrangements, of course, there is the so-called ‘trigger list’ which is prohibited, then there is the dual use list. What the dual use list allows is where a particular point of expertise or technical equipment is able to be used not in the nuclear cycle but in other areas like medical technology, then on a case by case basis that can be approved. That is Australia’s long-standing policy position as well and that position is not disturbed by the NSG arrangement, by the decision in the NSG.

QUESTION: So you think by case-by-case there can be concentration that can be made? You will be [inaudible]?

SMITH: No, our position on that has not changed. Just as the decision in the NSG, which I welcome, to authorise the India/US civil nuclear agreement, just as that decision doesn’t change our long-standing policy approach on the export of uranium, nor does it change our long-standing position on the use of so-called dual use materials. That hasn’t changed either. There are long-standing understandings for nuclear supplier group countries so far as the so-called trigger list is concerned but also the dual use. And so far as dual use is concerned, Australia does consider on a case-by-case basis the exportation of equipment for use in non-nuclear industry areas, for example medical technology.

[Ends]

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