Indo-US nuclear agreement a "good idea": Australia

Australia Thursday said it would wait for the final agreement between India and the United States on the civilian nuclear deal before backing New Delhi's request for support at the NSG as well as supply of uranium.

"I think in principle the agreement between India and the United States is a good idea," Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told PTI in Beijing on the sidelines of his four-day official visit to China.

Downer said Australia has told the Indian and American governments that Canberra would finalise its stand depending on the outcome of talks between New Delhi and Washington on the nuclear issue.

Since the US-India negotiations on the civilian nuclear agreement have not yet concluded, Downer said, Australia would wait for its outcome.

"We have to see what finally emerges from the negotiations," he said when asked whether Australia would endorse the Indo-US deal at the next meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in South Africa.

At the same time, he pointed out that both India and the US have still to cover "a bit of ground" during the negotiations on the nuclear issue.

Asked whether Australia would export uranium to India, the Australian foreign minister said: "Let's have a look at the agreement India and the United States finally come up with before we get into that."

"Australia's position is that we don't export uranium to countries that are not signatories to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty," he said, reiterating Canberra's firm stand.