Canada’s Green Party concerned over uranium deal with India

Ottawa, April 17

Canada’s Green party has expressed serious concern over the country’s multi-million dollar uranium deal with India, saying the agreement is a direct violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

“Canada’s trade in nuclear materials with India is a direct violation of the NPT, yet we resumed trading equipment and fissionable materials with India in 2013,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada.

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is an international pact whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

“India has indicated a willingness to pursue a comprehensive plan for a nuclear-free world, and has voluntarily adopted a ‘no first use’ policy. I call on (Canadian Prime Minister) Stephen Harper to stop encouraging defiance of the NPT,” May said in a statement yesterday.

“Selling uranium to India could cause us to violate the NPT if India uses it to manufacture weapons, and make us part of the global insecurity problem,” said Lorraine Rekmans, the Green Party’s Indigenous Affairs Critic and candidate for Leeds – Grenville – Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes.

Daniel Green, Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Canada, said, “India is not a signatory to the International Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It would be unacceptable for Canada to renege on its commitments to this treaty, which is indispensable to our global security.”

“We must explore constructive ways to bring India, as well as Pakistan and Israel, into a strengthened NPT framework,” May said.

Canada has agreed to supply 3,000 metric tonnes of uranium to energy-hungry India from second half of this year under a five-year deal during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s just concluded visit to the country. — PTI