Russia on Friday joined a rush by nuclear powers for access to Australia's huge uranium reserves as President Vladimir Putin signed a landmark deal to import the strategic fuel. The agreement he signed with Prime Minister John Howard came just months after Australia ratified a deal to sell uranium to China to feed its voracious appetite for energy.
Also in the queue is fellow Asian giant India, with Howard announcing last month that he had struck an agreement in principle with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh to sell uranium to New Delhi. In each case Howard has stressed that stringent safeguards would be put in place to ensure the uranium is not used in nuclear weapons, but each has also marked a significant break with past policies.
"Any uranium that is sold to Russia will be sold under very strict safeguards," he said after meeting the Russian leader in Sydney, where both will attend a weekend Asia Pacific summit. "This new agreement will allow the supply of Australian uranium for use in Russia's civil nuclear power industry and provide a framework for broader cooperation on peaceful nuclear-related activities," he said. Both Howard and Putin dismissed concerns that Russia would sell Australian uranium to third countries such as Iran.
"I simply don't understand what people are talking about," Putin said, pointing out that Russia already exports large quantities of enriched uranium for military use, including 30 tonnes a year to the United States. "We are buying uranium from Australia for purely economic reasons."
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