> lOCf,

MEDIA RELEASE '  EMBARGOED:  Not for

'  publication or broadcasting

—Ã¢ÂÂ   until released by a staff

member of Mr Anthony in  Canberra.  See attached note.

AUSTRALIA - FINLAND NUCLEAR SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT

(Statement by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tpade and  Resources, the R t .  Hon. J.D. Anthony, M.P.)

I have today signed a Bilateral Nuclear Safeguards Agreement  between Australia and Finland.

This is Australia's first Safeguards Agreement concluded pursuant  to the Government's stringent policy of nuclear safeguards to apply to .   future exports of uranium announced last year by the Prime Minister.

The conclusion of the Australia/Finland Nuclear Safeguards Ã¢ÂÂ  Agreement is a milestone in the implementation of the Government's \ uranium policy. On 25 August 1977 the Government announced that further  development of Australian uranium would proceed on a carefully regulated

and controlled basis consistent with the findings of the Ranger Uranium  Envir primental_...Inquiry_  which was conducted under the Honourable Mr Justice  Fox as Presiding Commissioner.

.  The Government has been proceeding with purpose and determination ,   in the implementation of its policy of uranium development.  Â·

A comprehensive package of uranium legislation was introduced and  passed through the Parliament in the recent sittings. In those sittings  I announced the arrangements for the establishment of the Uranium  Advisory Council, one of the key recommendations of the Ranger Inquiry.

I also announced in the recent sittings of Parliament the machinery to  govern export arrangements and the Australian Uranium Export Authority.

Negotiations have proceeded in relation to the Ranger project with  the aim of construction beginning at Ranger during the current dry season.

Australia has been proceeding with negotiations of Bilateral  Safeguards Agreements, with a range of countries who are seeking supplies  of uranium, from Australia for their electric power generation programmes.

The Australia/Finland Bilateral Safeguards Agreement is the first  of these agreements to be concluded. This agreement is a further  important step in the progress being made with uranium development in  Australia. I look forward to the establishment of stable and mutually

satisfactory arrangements between Australia and Finland for the supply  of uranium for use in the generation of electricity.

Finland is heavily dependent on imported energy. Unlike  Australia is also has to contend with long and severe winters. It has a  real need for dependable sources of electricity. Finland looks to nuclear  power as an important source of energy to satisfy the electricity  requirements of its people for lighting and heating of homes in the cold  winters of the northern hemisphere, and for power to operate its

factories. .  .

. . . / 2

\

Finland has already expressed interest in supplies of  Australian uranium for its electric power generation programme.  I  hope with the conclusion of a Bilateral Safeguards Agreement discussions  between Finnish electric power agencies and Australian mining companies  will proceed on a confident and secure basis.

I note that a sales mission from the Ranger Joint Venturers  (the Australian Atomic Energy Commission and Peko-EZ) is currently in  Finland to discuss possible sales of Ranger uranium.

Helsinki  20th July, 1978

(Released through the Canberra Office of the Deputy Prime Minister)

MEDIA RELEASE .

SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT SIGNING TODAY

A Nuclear Safeguards Agreement between Australia and Finland  will be/was signed in Helsinki today (7P.M. AEST - Thursday July  20) by the Australian Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Anthony, and  the Finnish Minister of Finance, Mr. Paul Taavela.

The signing of the agreement, the first for Australia with  another country, will take/took place in the Finnish Government  Banqueting Hall, formerly the residence of the Russian Governor-  General in Helsinki when Finland was part of the Russian Empire  before 1917.

The signing of the agreement will allow Australian uranium  companies to seek to negotiate sales contracts with Finnish  electricity production companies.

The Finnish Government Company has a nuclear power plant in  operation and a private company reactor will begin producing electÂ­ ricity in a few months. Two more nuclear power stations are  planned.

Following the signing of the safeguards agreement today, Mr.  Anthony released the attached statement.

Helsinki, Finland,

Thursday - 20th. July, 1978.

NOTE FOR EDITORS: '

The Australia-Finland Nuclear Safeguards Agreement is scheduled  to be signed in a brief ceremony beginning at 11A.M. Helsinki time  (7P.M. AEST) on Thursday July 20th. I expect confirmation by *phone  after the agreement is signed and I will advise the Gallery

immediately.

Mr. Anthony will be speaking to the media in Helsinki after the  signing and I hope to have available some points from that  conference together with a brief voice piece an hour or so later.

Brian Dodd.

