India-Oz ties being adversely affected over refusal to sell India uranium: Oz official

Australias refusal to sell uranium to India will adversely affect bilateral ties, a spokesman of Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, has warned.

Canberra, Sept.13 : Australia's refusal to sell uranium to India will adversely affect bilateral ties, a spokesman of Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, has warned.

The Herald Sun quoted Andrew Robb as saying that India is "deeply affronted" by Australia's decision not to sell it uranium.

"At every level they (the Indian government) are deeply affronted by the decision of the Australian government to refuse to sell our uranium while encouraging the rest of the world to sell uranium to India," Robb told ABC Radio.

"They can't understand it, they are affronted and it will affect our relationship and it will cost Australians billions of dollars in the years ahead," he added.

Robb's statement clearly contradicts Smith's view that India respects Labor's "party policy position" not to sell uranium to countries which refuse to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Robb said Labor was putting "grubby" internal ALP politics ahead of the national interest.

Last Saturday, the 45 countries which make up the Nuclear Suppliers Group, including Australia, moved to endorse a waiver of its rules for India which has so far refused to sign the NPT.

In August, Australia supported a International Atomic Energy Agency plan for the United States to share nuclear fuel and technology with India.

ANI