CANBERRA—The Australian Greens say the Federal Government must abandon a deal to sell uranium to Russia, warning there is a risk of the ore being diverted for use in Iran's nuclear program.
A federal parliamentary committee has been considering a deal struck by the former Howard government that would allow Russia to buy Australian uranium for civilian purposes under strict safeguards.
Recent developments in Georgia, however, have raised questions about whether or not the deal should go ahead.
The Greens today said there was also a risk Australian uranium could be diverted for use in Iran's nuclear program.
Russia has been assisting the Iranian Government in the construction of a nuclear reactor.
"Australian uranium going to Russia will displace Russian uranium into that reactor in Iran," Greens senator Christine Milne said today.
"It is time for this government to repudiate that agreement with Russia."
Senator Scott Ludlam, also from the Greens, said going ahead with the deal would send the wrong message.
"Russia is actively modernising its nuclear weapons stockpile, transferring nuclear fuel and reactor technology to Iran, and in January this year the Russian chief of the armed forces claimed the right to use nuclear weapons preventively," he said.
"Despite vague assurances about safeguards, there are still grave uncertainties about what will eventually become of Australian uranium."
The Federal Government has said it would take into account the situation in Georgia when deciding whether to ratify the uranium agreement.
Former Prime Minister John Howard and then Russian President Vladimir Putin, now Prime Minister, signed the deal last year to allow Australian uranium to be sold to Russia for domestic purposes.
Russia is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and is one of the five nuclear powers recognised by that agreement.
