In a boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomatic push to end the country’s isolation over its nuclear arms programme, India on Wednesday secured Mexico’s support for its membership of the Nucl
In a boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diplomatic push to end the country’s isolation over its nuclear arms programme, India on Wednesday secured Mexico’s support for its membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
But, as the 48-nation club began a two-day meeting Thursday in Vienna, Austria, to consider India’s application which is strongly supported by the US, China continued to oppose India’s bid.
Reports from Vienna said that though China was leading the opposition to India’s membership, there were positive indications from most of the other member countries.
“It’s an ongoing process but most countries appear positive,” said diplomatic sources as the meeting got underway.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister got the backing of Mexico during a short visit there after his talks in Washington with President Barack Obama who supported India’s case.
President Enrique Pena Nieto said Mexico, which is a member of the 48-nation NSG, will give its “positive and constructive support” to India as he praised Mr Modi’s “commitment” to the international nuclear non-proliferation agenda.
Mr Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Mexico in 30 years, said, “I thank President Pena Nieto for his constant and positive support for India’s membership” of the NSG.
Mexico’s backing is a historic policy shift for the country which has held a firm position on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation for decades. One of Mexico’s crowning diplomatic achievements was the 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolco, which declared Latin America and the Caribbean a zone free of nuclear weapons.
China has been opposing India’s entry into the elite grouping, consistently maintaining that only signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty should be admitted to NSG. China wants NSG membership for Pakistan if the NSG extends any exemption to India.
In a letter last week to members sceptical towards India’s membership, US secretary of state John Kerry had said they should “agree not to block consensus on Indian admission” to the group when it again meets in Seoul later this month.
“India has shown strong support for the objectives of the NSG and the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and is a like-minded state deserving of NSG admission,” Mr Kerry wrote, according to Bloomberg.
Among the countries being sceptical to India’s entry were New Zealand, Ireland, Turkey, South Africa and Austria.
A joint statement issued after talks between Mr Modi and Mr Obama said the US called on NSG participating governments to support India’s application when it comes up at the NSG Plenary later this month.
Mr Modi on Monday visited Switzerland, another member of the NSG which is known to have strong proliferation concerns, and it had announced support to India’s candidature.
The 48-nation NSG controls access to sensitive nuclear technology and governs global nuclear trade through guidelines that seek to prevent the proliferation of atomic weapons.
India made its formal bid for NSG membership last month after winning a waiver in 2008 allowing it to trade in commercial nuclear technology. Membership of the grouping will help India significantly expand its atomic energy sector.
India has been reaching out to NSG member countries seeking support for membership. The NSG works under the principle of unanimity and even one country’s vote against India will scuttle its bid.
