India qualifies fully for NSG entry: US

New Delhi, September 13

The United States today reiterated that India has all the qualifications needed for admission into the 48-member elite Nuclear Suppliers Group. 

Batting for India’s admission, a senior Trump administration official blamed China for persistently stonewalling the path to consensus for its membership bid. Officially, China objects to India’s entry on the procedural ground that it is not signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). However, it is believed to be China’s way of ensuring India does not get into the grouping that allows nuclear trade, without Pakistan being allowed to as well. 

“The Nuclear Suppliers Group is a consensus-based organisation. India has not been able to secure membership as a result of opposition from China… we certainly believe India meets all qualifications… will continue to actively advocate on behalf of India’s membership,” said Alice Wells, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, at an event in Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a top American think-tank. — TNS