Reader riposte: Uranium to Russia

Michael Angwin, Executive Director of the Australian Uranium Association, writes:

It's always tempting to think that an industry is campaigning for something an observer thinks must be what the industry wants. That seems to be what Sandra Hajda assumes in the case of uranium exports to Russia.

There is no 'campaign' by uranium interests to have ratified the bilateral uranium export treaty with Russia.

The industry made two points in response to the 2008 report by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties regarding the Russia treaty: that we disagreed with the  majority's rejection of ASNO's evidence in favour of assertions by NGOs; but did agree that 'further consideration (be) given to the potential ramifications for this agreement of recent political events affecting Russia'.

That was, of course, a reference to the Russian adventure in Georgia. That's all we said. And that's still our position.

So that no one can mistake the industry's broader non-proliferation position, it is this: we endorse the Australian Government's efforts to ensure the global non-proliferation system is fit for its future purposes, and we make suitable contributions to policy development where we can.