MEDIA RELEASE  3 September 2014  Russia uranium ban should stay: Greens

Confirmation that the Australian Government has suspended potential uranium sales to  the Russian Federation has been welcomed by the Greens, after questions placed by  Adam Bandt MP in the House and Senator Scott Ludlam in the Senate.

“The Australian Greens have argued that uranium sales to the Russian Federation  should never have been contemplated in the first place,” Senator Ludlam said.

“President Putin’s implied threat of nuclear escalation last week, saying, “I want to  remind you that Russia is one of the leading nuclear powers,” underlies the risks that  Australia faces in fuelling the nuclear industry in Russia and elsewhere.

“With heightened tensions resulting from Russia’s military actions in eastern Ukraine, it  is entirely appropriate for the Australian Government to prevent Australian uranium from  being shipped to the Russian Federation,” said Senator Ludlam.

“The Greens believe we should revert to an outright ban and caution Prime Minister  Abbott against opening a new line of atomic instability with India, which has refused to  sign up to international legal agreements on non-proliferation and disarmament.”

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