NEW DELHI (AP) India is rejoicing over news that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brokered deals with USA officials to bring New Delhi closer to its long-held dream of joining an elite group of nations allowed to control the global trade in nuclear materials, equipment and technology.
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“I thank President Pena Nieto for Mexico’s positive and constructive support for India’s membership of the NSG”.
Mexico’s president said on Wednesday his country supports India’s membership bid, but one Vienna-based diplomat said it still opposed the idea of it joining under conditions that did not apply equally to all.
Other countries opposing Indian membership of the NSG include New Zealand, Ireland, Turkey, South Africa and Austria.
The approvals have also come just in time – when the NSG is set to take up India’s application for membership at an extraordinary plenary in Geneva on June 9-10.
In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Tashkent on June 23-24 ahead of the NSG plenary.
Meanwhile, in order to mobilise support for Pakistan’s NSG membership, Pakistan held a briefing session in Islamabad with NSG countries diplomatic missions invited.
China, however, showed no sign of backing down from its opposition to India joining unless Pakistan becomes a member.
Pakistan has formally asked the USA administration and Congress to support its application for joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Congress is critical of China playing spoilsport to India’s possible entry into NSG. Besides Mexico, Switzerland, US and Japan have also expressed support for India’s entry into the NSG.
India has already managed to secure access to nuclear fuel and technology to build power plants it says it needs to boost energy capacity and drive economic growth for the nation of 1.25 billion people.
The party also targeted the government on the joint statement issued during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Washington, saying the document was a declaration that cemented India’s role as a “junior partner” of the United States in its global strategic designs.
Modi, in the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Mexico in 30 years, was grateful as the two leaders met at the Los Pinos presidential residence.
The two countries also welcomed collaboration in space science, earth observation, climate and environmental studies, and the efficient use of space-related resources available in India as well as in Mexico for remote sensing, advance warning for disaster prevention and launch of satellites between the Mexican Space Agency (AEM) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the joint statement said.
The MTCR is an informal and voluntary partnership among member countries to prevent proliferation of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology which can carry a 500 kg payload up to 300 kilometres.
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“India has shown strong support for the objectives of the NSG and the global nuclear nonproliferation regime and is a “like-minded” state deserving of NSG admission”, Kerry wrote, according to Bloomberg.
