NSG hurdle over, India gets waiver

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

Related Articles

Nuclear energy to meet rising needs, says PM

Vienna, Sep 6: Ending 34 years of nuclear isolation enforced in the wake of the 1974 Pokharan tests, the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on Saturday granted India a crucial waiver that will enable it to carry out nuclear commerce.

The unprecedented decision of the 45-nation nuclear cartel giving exemption to a country, which has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a landmark step in the implementation of the Indo-US nuclear deal that will now go to the US Congress for approval. Now, Congress must act before adjourning in late September for elections or the deal could be left to an uncertain fate under a new US administration.

The US-India deal raised international misgivings since India has shunned the almost universal Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) meant to stop the spread and production of nuclear weapons and mandate gradual disarmament, and a companion test ban pact.

“After protracted negotiations, the NSG today adopted an exemption for nuclear exports to India,” the Austrian foreign ministry said in a statement. “There is a sense of relief. I am particularly happy that the waiver (for India) meets with international nuclear non-proliferation architecture,” Peter Launsky, Austrian foreign ministry spokesman said after an unscheduled meeting of the NSG here.

The one-off waiver came after several small NSG states agreed under heavy US pressure to weaker language than they had sought to ensure India does not test nuclear bombs again.

Austria, along with Ireland, New Zealand and Switzerland had expressed strong reservations over the waiver being given to India that forced the grouping to have an unscheduled meeting on Saturday after two days of deliberations failed to produce a consensus.

China, which had joined these countries on Friday night, did not oppose the waiver on Saturday but raised some questions regarding specific issues. After the consensus was adopted, Beijing expressed its stated position.

External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee’s statement on Friday reaffirming India’s commitment to non-proliferation and disarmament goals and the reference to its voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing appears to have played a major role in placating the countries that had strong views on proliferation.

It also said India—whose regional rival Pakistan also has nuclear firepower outside the NPT—would not join any future nuclear arms race, would permit broader UN inspections and adhere to the NSG anti-proliferation export control regime.