Australia will continue to enforce a ban on uranium sales to India because of New Delhi's refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Australian foreign minister has said.![Rudd's Labor party says it has a long standing ban on sales to non-NPT countries [AFP]](http://mwcnews.net/images/stories/Asia/A/B/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/Rudd.jpg "Rudd's Labor party says it has a long standing ban on sales to non-NPT countries [AFP]")
Rudd's Labor party says it has a long standing ban on sales to non-NPT countries [AFP]
Stephen Smith reiterated his government's position during a meeting on Monday in Canberra with his Indian counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee.
The previous conservative government of John Howard had said it would consider allowing exports of nuclear fuel to India.
Howard had argued that Australia, which holds 40 per cent of the world's known uranium reserves, could increase export earnings while helping India reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
The negotiations marked a major policy shift for Australia which demands that all its uranium customers ratify the NPT, as well as ensure that radioactive material is neither put to military use nor passed on to a third country.
India is eager to secure supplies of uranium to fuel a soaring domestic demand for energy.
Smith said the Australian Labour party, which took power last year, has a "long-standing position" banning exports of nuclear material to countries which have not signed the NPT.
However, he later told the Australian parliament that Australia had undervalued India - a rapidly growing market for Australian minerals and energy - for the past 30 years.
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