Barack Obama backs Australia's u-turn on uranium sale to India

MELBOURNE: US President Barack Obama today virtually backed Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's plans to sell uranium to India saying it "seemed to be compatible with international law and the NPT".

"India is a big player and the Australia-India relationship is one that should be cultivated," Obama said in his apparent support to Gillard's u-turn yesterday in which she expressed the country's interest to sell uranium to India.

In a lighter vein, US President, who arrived in the country today, said, "I will watch with interest whats determined" as he refuted today's report that his administration had influenced Gillard's decision.

'The Australian' daily had reported that Gillard had moved to lift the ban this week in a bid to strengthen the relation with the fast growing economic powerhouse and "there was some speculation that it was at the urging of the US."

The newspaper said the Obama administration saw Australia's refusal to sell India uranium as "a roadblock to greater engagement between Washington and New Delhi."

However Obama responding to a question said, "I don't think Julia or anybody else needs my advice in figuring that out".