CANBERRA - Australia said it had earmarked Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand as potential future uranium export markets but would first insist they undertake to limit its use to peaceful nuclear purposes.
Australia, which has about 40 percent of the world's uranium resources, could be a stable, dependable and desirable source for expanding nuclear industries, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in a submission to a parliamentary inquiry on Tuesday.
But Australia's government will only allow uranium to be exported to countries that have signed a bilateral nuclear safeguards deal to ensure the uranium is not used for "non-peaceful purposes," he said.
Australia has already signed 19 agreements, covering 36 countries and is in talks that could add China to the list.
"Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are also considering the possibility of nuclear power. These countries could become markets for Australian uranium, provided bilateral safeguards agreements were concluded with then," Downer said in his submission to the inquiry into Australia's non-fossil fuel industry.
Downer said that in 2004, Australia exported 7,765 tonnes of uranium worth more than A$410 million ($311 million).
Australia has three uranium mines -- Olympic Dam, owned by Australian miner WMC Resources, the Ranger mine, owned by the Rio Tinto-controlled Energy Resources of Australia, and the Beverley mine, owned by General Atomics. ($US1=A$1.32)
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
