ID :
16810
Sun, 08/24/2008 - 00:54
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http://m.oananews.org//node/16810
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NSG meets on India waiver issue, three nations raise questions by Lalitha Vaidyanathan
met here Thursday to consider whether India should be allowed to resume civil nuclear trade with the world, a decision that appears to be a "tough" call as three nations raised questionseven as New Delhi sought to allay fears over the initiative.
After the first day's intense deliberations at the meeting of the 45-nation grouping and a special briefing by India for the member countries, New Delhi said it was "toughgame" but expressed optimism about getting the exemption.
The grouping, that controls international nuclear trade, will meet again tomorrow for discussions on the crucial issue amid indications that there could be no decision during the two-day-long deliberations and another meeting could be calledsoon after to take the final view.
Assembling amid continued reservations of at least three member countries, the N.S.G. considered a draft of the waiverwhich is to be adopted by the grouping by consensus.
The draft, moved by the US, recognises India's Separation Plan of its nuclear facilities and contains "voluntary" commitments made by New Delhi towards ensuringnon-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
The two-page draft takes note of India's commitment to "continuing its unilateral moratorium" on nuclear tests and declaring its readiness to "work with others towards conclusion of a multilateral Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (F.M.C.T.)." After the first session of the N.S.G. meet, India held a special briefing for all the N.S.G. countries conveying its commitments towards non-proliferation and seeking to allayfears that some members have.
The special briefing was held as India, which is not a member of the N.S.G., wanted to put forth its case directlybefore the members of the grouping.
Representatives of Austria, New Zealand and Switzerland questioned why India should be granted the waiver to conduct civil nuclear trade with the international community as they raised issues related to Non-Proliferation Treaty (N.P.T.) andtesting, sources said.
Responding to the questions, the Indian delegation, led by Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, sought to allay the apprehensions citing New Delhi's "impeccable" track record on non-proliferation front despite not being a signatory to theN.P.T.
Insisting that the initiative will not weaken the non-proliferation system as feared by some, the Indian officials are believed to have pointed out to the NSG members that New Delhi has in place strict export control regime besides other measures to guard against transfer of dual-usetechnology or nuclear fuel to ineligible entities.
After the collective briefing, Menon and Prime Minister's special envoy Shyam Saran met representatives of NSG countriesseparately in groups.
Participants later said the briefing, held in a "positive"atmosphere, was "good and useful".
"Some issues were raised which were useful and constructive," a participant said without identifying whichcountry he was representing.
The N.S.G. clearance is a key step in the implementationof the Indo-US nuclear deal.
N.S.G. works by consensus and opposition by even one member country can scuttle the initiative that will allow India to resume civil nuclear trade with the internationalcommunity after 34 years.
Earlier, Japan too was nursing fears over the move to give a waiver to India but lately appears to have turned around and is unlikely to block the initiative. China has not specified the position it will adopt at the N.S.G., leading toanxiety in New Delhi.
Rest of the N.S.G. member countries favour the initiative.
The draft of the waiver, under discussion at the N.S.G.
meet, also recognises India's pledge to "refrain from transferring enrichment and reprocessing technology to states that do not already possess these." While taking note of the Safeguards Agreement reached between India and the I.A.E.A., the document has the mention of New Delhi's commitment to sign and adhere to an Additional Protocol (with I.A.E.A.) with respect to India's civil nuclearfacilities.
Prior to the N.S.G. meet, India and the US undertook a massive diplomatic offensive to persuade all the member countries, particularly the sceptic countries, to vote for the waiver, arguing that it will be good rather than harmful forglobal non-proliferation system.
Even hours before the N.S.G. meet, the Indian delegation did some last-minute lobbying last night, meeting representatives of the N.S.G. chair Germany besides SouthAfrica and Hungary, former and next chair of the grouping.
After the first day's intense deliberations at the meeting of the 45-nation grouping and a special briefing by India for the member countries, New Delhi said it was "toughgame" but expressed optimism about getting the exemption.
The grouping, that controls international nuclear trade, will meet again tomorrow for discussions on the crucial issue amid indications that there could be no decision during the two-day-long deliberations and another meeting could be calledsoon after to take the final view.
Assembling amid continued reservations of at least three member countries, the N.S.G. considered a draft of the waiverwhich is to be adopted by the grouping by consensus.
The draft, moved by the US, recognises India's Separation Plan of its nuclear facilities and contains "voluntary" commitments made by New Delhi towards ensuringnon-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
The two-page draft takes note of India's commitment to "continuing its unilateral moratorium" on nuclear tests and declaring its readiness to "work with others towards conclusion of a multilateral Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (F.M.C.T.)." After the first session of the N.S.G. meet, India held a special briefing for all the N.S.G. countries conveying its commitments towards non-proliferation and seeking to allayfears that some members have.
The special briefing was held as India, which is not a member of the N.S.G., wanted to put forth its case directlybefore the members of the grouping.
Representatives of Austria, New Zealand and Switzerland questioned why India should be granted the waiver to conduct civil nuclear trade with the international community as they raised issues related to Non-Proliferation Treaty (N.P.T.) andtesting, sources said.
Responding to the questions, the Indian delegation, led by Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, sought to allay the apprehensions citing New Delhi's "impeccable" track record on non-proliferation front despite not being a signatory to theN.P.T.
Insisting that the initiative will not weaken the non-proliferation system as feared by some, the Indian officials are believed to have pointed out to the NSG members that New Delhi has in place strict export control regime besides other measures to guard against transfer of dual-usetechnology or nuclear fuel to ineligible entities.
After the collective briefing, Menon and Prime Minister's special envoy Shyam Saran met representatives of NSG countriesseparately in groups.
Participants later said the briefing, held in a "positive"atmosphere, was "good and useful".
"Some issues were raised which were useful and constructive," a participant said without identifying whichcountry he was representing.
The N.S.G. clearance is a key step in the implementationof the Indo-US nuclear deal.
N.S.G. works by consensus and opposition by even one member country can scuttle the initiative that will allow India to resume civil nuclear trade with the internationalcommunity after 34 years.
Earlier, Japan too was nursing fears over the move to give a waiver to India but lately appears to have turned around and is unlikely to block the initiative. China has not specified the position it will adopt at the N.S.G., leading toanxiety in New Delhi.
Rest of the N.S.G. member countries favour the initiative.
The draft of the waiver, under discussion at the N.S.G.
meet, also recognises India's pledge to "refrain from transferring enrichment and reprocessing technology to states that do not already possess these." While taking note of the Safeguards Agreement reached between India and the I.A.E.A., the document has the mention of New Delhi's commitment to sign and adhere to an Additional Protocol (with I.A.E.A.) with respect to India's civil nuclearfacilities.
Prior to the N.S.G. meet, India and the US undertook a massive diplomatic offensive to persuade all the member countries, particularly the sceptic countries, to vote for the waiver, arguing that it will be good rather than harmful forglobal non-proliferation system.
Even hours before the N.S.G. meet, the Indian delegation did some last-minute lobbying last night, meeting representatives of the N.S.G. chair Germany besides SouthAfrica and Hungary, former and next chair of the grouping.
