Diplomats: India closer to nuke technology club membership

India got strong backing from the U.S. for NSG membership with President Barack Obama extending support during Modi’s visit to the United States on Tuesday. Modi had visited Switzerland, another key member of the NSG, before travelling to the USA, and the European country – known to have strong proliferation concerns – had announced its support to India’s candidature for the atomic trading club. Regardless of what may be the end-result in terms of membership at NSG, it is certain that India’s bilateral ties with these countries would reach new heights, FCCI said.

Besides China, the member countries in the 48-nation group which were opposed to India’s membership were New Zealand, Ireland, Turkey, South Africa and Austria. Pakistan aspires to join the NSG, but should India become a member, then it can block Pakistan’s entry into the organisation by its use of the exclusive veto power, and further prevent any steps which might prove beneficial for Pakistan.

For an exporter, NSG membership would allow India to also set rules for the group – instead of just following rules laid out by others, and constantly living under the fear that its waiver could be rolled back. But he also pointedly urged his new US friends to see India’s long standoff with neighboring Pakistan through the prism of Islamabad’s alleged history of support for Islamist extremism.

Modi said his nation’s 1.25 billion people made India an “ideal partner” for USA businesses.

“I am told you are well-known for your bipartisanship”, he began, sending the US Congress members into peals of laughter and applause.

Modi tacked on Switzerland and Mexico as extra stops on a five-country tour to seek their support. Ajay Mathur, India’s chief spokesperson at the Paris talks, said US investment with reasonable interest rates is crucial so India can reach their goal of 100 gigawatts in solar power by 2022 and Indian citizens can access that clean energy.

Modi said the fight against “terrorism” must be based on a policy “that isolates those who harbour, support and sponsor terrorists; that does not distinguish between “good” and “bad” terrorists; and that delinks religion from terrorism”.

“Pakistan would record its protest over the drone strike in Balochistan in tomorrow’s meeting with the U.S. delegation”. The father of its nuclear weapons programme ran an illicit network for years that sold nuclear secrets to countries including North Korea and Iran.

India has been seeking to be member of the four multi-lateral export control regimes: the NSG, MTCR, the Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group. India, the world’s third-largest carbon emitter among nations, said it would strive to formally join a global climate deal this year – as the USA and China have said they will do – but it gave no ironclad commitment.

Most of those opposing India’s joining the group argued the country should only be admitted under criteria that apply equally to all states rather than under a “tailor-made” solution for a U.S. ally.