2007年VOA标准英语-Russia, Australia Sign Uranium Deal

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Sydney
07 September 2007

Russia has signed a deal to import Australian uranium for Russia's nuclear energy program. The two countries were quick to assure the world that the material would be used only for peacetime nuclear purposes. Nancy-Amelia Collins reports from Australia's largest city, Sydney, where the Russian president has joined the leaders of 20 other economies for the annual Asia Pacific summit meeting.

 

Vladimir Putin, fourth from left, and John Howard, third from right, look on during signing of agreement in Sydney, 07 Sep 2007

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the deal with Australian Prime Minister John Howard Friday, as the two prepared for the upcoming APEC summit.

While the deal states Russia cannot sell the Australian uranium to any other nation or use it to make weapons, critics have said the deal might make it easier for rogue¹ third countries or groups to obtain the raw material needed to make a nuclear weapon.

The Australian Prime Minister quickly denied suggestions that the agreement poses a potential nuclear threat.

"Any uranium that is sold to Russia will be sold subject to very strict safeguards, and the (Russian) president in our discussion made the point that I think is relevant, that Russia already has an enormous amount of military nuclear material, which it is selling principally to the United States for reprocessing. So if you apply logic² to the allegations, it lacks substance," Mr. Howard said.

In a 1993 agreement with the United States, Russia promised to convert 500 metric tons of highly enriched uranium left over from Soviet³ nuclear weapons programs. The Russians were to process the material into lower-quality uranium, to be used as fuel for American nuclear power plants.

President Putin stressed that Australian uranium would be used by the Russians solely⁴ for the production of peacetime energy.

"In terms of Australian uranium, we will buy it only given our plans to develop peaceful nuclear energy," Mr. Putin noted⁵. "In the Soviet era we built about 30 big power units on the nuclear power plants. In 15, 20 years we are planning to build this same amount, and for these purposes and only for these purposes we need this Australian uranium."

Mr. Putin, the first Russian president ever to visit Australia, arrived in Sydney a day after signing a billion-dollar arms deal with Indonesia. Under that agreement, Russia is providing a line of credit for Jakarta to buy tanks, helicopters, and submarines.

Mr. Putin and Mr. Howard will be among 21 leaders, including U.S. President George Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao, at the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit here on Saturday and Sunday.

1 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

2 logic   

n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性

参考例句：

• What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？
• I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

3 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

4 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。