Uranium sale to India: Australian PM Julia Gillard safeguard pact may take 1-2 yrs

MELBOURNE: Defending her move to start talks on supplying uranium to India, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said the ruling Labor's previous stance against the sale was becoming an obstacle in ties, but made it clear that a safeguard agreement is likely to take one or two years.

Gillard, who is on a three-day visit to India, hosed down any suggestions that uranium sales to India will start quickly, the Sydney Morning Herald reported today.

She said that negotiating a safeguard agreement is likely to take one or two years, rather than months.

Gillard, undertaking her maiden India visit as Prime Minister, deflected criticism of future uranium exports and said Australia knew how to negotiate a proper agreement to ensure uranium was used for peaceful purposes.

"I think India is a wonderful example of everything we have been talking about as the possibilities of the Asian century," another newspaper 'The Australian' quoted her as saying.

Gillard said she was sure the uranium issue would be raised during her talks with the Indian leadership.

The Australian Prime Minister is set to meet her Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi during her India visit.

Gillard said Australia had negotiated agreements in the past and done so on the basis that its uranium "is only used for peaceful purposes".

She said the International Atomic Energy Agency would be involved and India would have a protocol with the IAEA in any agreement.