Bali: Australian Prime Minister Julia
Gillard on Saturday made it clear that she would take forward her
proposal to lift ban on uranium sale to India as she met Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh here.
Singh and Gillard, who are here to attend the ASEAN and
East Asia Summits, had a `pull-aside` meeting during which the
issue figured.
"I am taking the change of policy to my party conference
in December," the Australian Prime Minister told reporters
after the meeting.
Giving indications of overturning Australia`s long-held
position, Gillard on November 15 had said, "The (ruling) Labor
Party`s current platform prevents us from selling uranium to
India, because it (New Delhi) is not part of the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty. I believe the time has come for the
Labor Party to change this position."
She gave three reasons for her decision. Firstly,
exporting uranium to India would be good for the Australian
economy and help create jobs. Uranium currently contributes
over 750 million Australian dollars to the Australian economy.
Secondly, she said. "Australia faces a unique set of
opportunities in this -- the Asian century, where we live in
the right region of the world which will see strong economic
growth and India as a rising giant will be part of that strong
economic growth, so put simply, our best possible partnership
with India is also good for Australian jobs."
PTI
