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N E W S  R E L E A S E

DATE

11 July 1974

AUSTRALIA SIGNS AGREEMENT ON NUCLEAR  SAFEGUARDS

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Don Willesee,  today announced that Australia and the International Atomic  Energy Agency (IAEA) had entered into an agreement on nuclear  safeguards to meet Australia's obligations as a signatory to  the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

Senator Willesee said that at the same time Australia,  the Agency and the United States had signed an associated  Protocol for the suspension of safeguards applied under a 1966  agreement covering nuclear material supplied to Australia by

the United States.

The agreement and the Protocol were signed in Vienna  last night; the Australian Ambassador to Austria and Australian  Resident Representative at the Agency, Mr J.R. Rowland, signed  on behalf of Australia.

Ã¢ÂÂ   The Minister recalled that under a bilateral agreement of 1956, the United States had provided Australia with nuclear  materials for peaceful purposes.  In 1966 Australia,  the United  States and the IAEA had entered into an agreement making the  Agency responsible for the inspection and verification of the  use (i .  e ., the safeguarding) of such material.

On 23 January 1974, Australia ratified the NPT,. thereby  undertaking not to develop nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive  devices and to set up a national regime of nuclear material  controls.  More specifically, Australia undertook to conclude  an agreement with the Agency oh a safeguards system within

eighteen months of commencing negotiations (which began on  11 January 1973)Â· Under the NPT Australia also accepted a  commitment not to export fissionable material or related  equipment to states not subject to safeguard arrangements  negotiated with the IAEA.

2 .

The agreement just signed with the Agency provides  for a system of international inspection and verification to  give effect to Australia's safeguards obligations. It will  cover all nuclear materials,  whether produced locally or

imported.  As a consequence,  it had become no longer necessary  to apply a separate and overlapping inspection system for  materials supplied by the United States. A Protocol had  therefore been executed suspending safeguards under the

agreement of 1966.

The Minister said he was particularly pleased that  it had been possible to conclude a safeguards agreement within  the time specified in the NPT.

Senator Willesee noted that nuclear technology was  developing worldwide.  Australia's concern was that countries  embarking upon nuclear development did so in such a way as not  to increase the risk to all nations of further proliferation

of nuclear weapons.

"We therefore consider that all such development  should take place under internationally agreed safeguards,  as  provided in the Non-Proliferation Treaty and associated  arrangements",  he added.

