Sounding hopeful of its inclusion in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), India on Sunday acknowledged that the Seoul plenary of the elite club did not yield the “expected results”.
“Today, Indian diplomacy doesn’t have fear of failure. If we don’t get desired results, it only means that we redouble our efforts,” Vikas Swarup, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, told presspersons.
The Ministry’s comments came after The Hindu reported on Sunday that a year-end NSG session would discuss the entry of countries that had not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Confirming the report, an official source told the media that a “special plenary session of the NSG may be called at the year-end”.
However, the Ministry focussed on the reason for the failure in Seoul, saying India’s entry was scuttled by opposition from “one country”, meaning China.
“There was only one country which persistently raised procedural hurdles, as a result of which no decision could be arrived at,” Mr. Swarup said. It was the second time that India referred to opposition from one country which prevented it from becoming member of the NSG at the Seoul plenary.
On June 24 too, India highlighted China’s opposition when its bid began to falter. Mr. Swarup said: “Yes. Some countries did raise procedure-related issues; but not a single country, apart from that one country, opposed India’s membership of the NSG.”
He said India had the right credentials for becoming a NSG member as it had met the conditions of the non-proliferation treaty. “…we have already implemented all NPT provisions. To the extent that the goalpost remains the implementation of the NPT, we believe we have met the criteria and have all credentials to be a NSG member. Our non-proliferation credentials are very well known, our record speaks for itself,” Mr. Swarup said in support of India’s continued bid. As a step towards joining various technology regimes, India would join the Missile Technology Control Regime on Monday, he said.
Meanwhile, the Congress said India’s bid had been ill-advised. “India has impeccable credentials. There was no need for us to move around as a petitioner and end up being equated with Pakistan,” it said in a statement.
