Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi today urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to make a ‘fair and objective’ assessment of his country’s entry to the 48-nation grouping, reports said on Thursday that no consensus had emerged in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meet about India’s induction in the nuke club.
Brazil, Austria, New Zealand are understood to have opposed India’s induction into NSG citing non NPT state status, as per ANI.
About 300 participants from 48 member countries are attending the plenary which was preceded by official-level session that began on June 20.
Earlier today, meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, PM Modi told Chinese President Xi Jinping that India’s case should be judged on its own merits and China should contribute to an emerging consensus in the Seoul meeting, according to External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup.
However, when asked about China’s response, Swarup refused to comment, saying, “You know, it is a complex and delicate process. We are waiting (to see) what kind of news comes from Seoul. I will not make any more comment on this,” as per 9newz.
Swarup also stated that most of the time of the Modi-Xi meeting was devoted to the NSG issue.
While the US and France issued statements ahead of the plenary strongly supporting India’s case and asking members to back New Delhi, China has been unrelenting in its opposition harping on the need to have a criteria for non-NPT countries like India.
Initially it was said that although admission of members like India which were not signatories to the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was not on the agenda, Japan and some other countries were understood to have raised the matter in the opening session.
Thereafter, it was agreed to consider a number of unscheduled items including India’s application at a special session after dinner.
India was seeking membership of NSG to enable it to trade in and export nuclear technology.
The NSG looks after critical issues relating to nuclear sector and its members are allowed to trade in and export nuclear technology.
The NSG works under the principle of unanimity.
