Canada, Common Market near nuclear accord

Press, 18 February 1977, Page 5

Canada, Common Market near nuclear accord

NZPA-Reuter Ottawa Canada and the European Economic Community are reported to be near agreement on safeguards that would permit the resumption of Canadian nuclear sales to Europe. An official in the E.E.C. office in Ottawa said yesterday after talks with Canadian officials that there appeared to be agreement on a group of proposals that would overcome difficulties posed by France. The agreement would replace an old one with Euratom — an agency of the E.E.C. — and would include stronger safeguards against nuclear explosions that Canada has been demanding since India used Canadiansupplied material to explode a bomb in 1974.

West Germany and Italy are customers for Canadian uranium, and the former is said to be in difficulties because Canada stopped all European deliveries in December pending new safeguard agreements. An agreement covering the whole E.E.C. is necessary because once Canadian uranium arrives in one Community country it can freely move to any other. The official, who has left for Europe to report on the Ottawa talks, said that although one more negotiating session might be necessary, agreement might be close enough to permit shipments to West Germany relatively soon. Germany must have deliveries by a certain deadline so the uranium can be shipped to the Soviet Union for enrichment. The negotiations have been in difficulties over France from the start. France, a nuclear-armed country, will not be bound by International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards or by the international non-prolifera-tion treaty—both of which Cuba overture? President Jimmy Carter, voicing the possibility of “normal relations” with Cuba, has said in Washington that he has received indications that the Cuban leader, Dr Fidel Castro, is willing to remove Cuban troops from Angola. Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba were severed in 1961.— Washington.

[Canada insists on for its nuclear customers. Under the compromise package worked out, France I would state that it had no need for Canadian uranium j and would not import any! unless there was an agri •-

Jment with Canada on safe- [ guards. ■ This statement would cover not only direct ship11 ments from Canada, but Canadian uranium that ! could come through another [ country.