ID :
18398
Mon, 09/08/2008 - 10:32
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/18398
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US, Canada, UK welcome 'landmark' NSG waiver for India
Washington, Sept 7 (PTI) The "landmark" nuclear waiver for India by the 45-member N.S.G. has been welcomed by key western nations, including Britain, Canada and the US, which looks upon it as a key foreign policy victory for President George W. Bush.
The N.S.G., which governs the legal world trade in nuclear components and technology, approved the deal yesterday after three days of contentious talks and some concessions to countries fearful it could set a dangerous precedent.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on a trip to
Northv Africa, called the deal "landmark" and said final
congressional approval would be "a huge step for the US-India
relationship."
Canada welcomed the nuclear cartel's decision to grant
India a "special waiver" to allow New Delhi to participate
fully in the global nuclear industry and trade, and to
strengthen the non-proliferation regime.
"Canada’s decision to join the N.S.G. consensus marks a
turning point in our relations with India and will help to
facilitate a more comprehensive and robust bilateral
relationship," David Emerson, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
said, supporting N.S.G.'s decision to allow nuclear trade with
New Delhi.
Hailing the grant of the N.S.G. waiver to India, a
"pleased" Britain has said the move would strengthen the
global non-proliferation regime and make "a significant
contribution" to energy and climate security.
The green signal by the N.S.G. to India that ends the
country's 34-year-old nuclear isolation "represents a gain for
the non-proliferation regime" by bringing New Delhi further
into the broader non-proliferation framework which the UK
firmly supports, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband
said.
China, seen as one of the sceptics, described the
Indo-US civil nuclear deal as "contentious". China, which had
reservations in granting a waiver to India, hoped that the
N.S.G. would "equally address the aspirations of all parties,"
an apparent reference to its key ally Pakistan, for the
peaceful use of atomic energy.
The trade waiver paves the way for a US reversal of
more than three decades of policy. India has been subject to a
nuclear trade ban since it first tested an atomic weapon in
1974.
Hailing the grant of the N.S.G. waiver to India,
Secretary Rice said the time is "very short" for the approval
of the Indo-US nuclear deal in the Congressional session
beginning tomorrow.
"I don't think most people thought that we were going
to be able to get this through the N.S.G. this weekend," she
said, according to a transcript released here.
Taking note of India's unilateral moratorium on nuclear
testing, British Foreign Secretary Miliband said the "clear
commitment" expressed by India in this regard "is also
important."
Miliband said the UK has supported the Indo-US civil
nuclear initiative from the beginning. "We believe it will
make a significant contribution to energy and climate
security, as well as developmental and economic objectives,
for India and the International Community."
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Emerson said India
is a "responsible democracy that shares with Canada the
fundamental values of freedom, democracy, human rights and
respect for the rule of law".
"It has made substantial commitments to achieve the
trust of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, including a safeguards
agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency that
will allow the Agency to monitor additional civilian nuclear
facilities in India," Emerson said.
Addressing the third day of excruciating negotiations
of the N.S.G. in Vienna yesterday, Cheng Jingye, head of the
Chinese delegation, pointed out that Beijing hoped that the
decision made by the grouping would "stand the test of time
and contribute to the goals of nuclear non-proliferation and
peaceful use of nuclear power."
"It is also China's hope that the N.S.G. would equally
address the aspirations of all parties for the peaceful use of
nuclear power while adhering to the nuclear non-proliferation
mechanism," he said, apparently alluding to Pakistan's
repeated attempts to get a civil nuclear deal with the United
States, similar to the Indo-US agreement.
N.S.G. rules ban nuclear trading with India because it
refuses to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty, developed an
independent nuclear programme and conducted its first nuclear
test in 1974.
Officials said the landmark breakthrough came after
President Bush personally intervened to lobby allies at the
nuclear group to approve the trade waiver. PTI
The N.S.G., which governs the legal world trade in nuclear components and technology, approved the deal yesterday after three days of contentious talks and some concessions to countries fearful it could set a dangerous precedent.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on a trip to
Northv Africa, called the deal "landmark" and said final
congressional approval would be "a huge step for the US-India
relationship."
Canada welcomed the nuclear cartel's decision to grant
India a "special waiver" to allow New Delhi to participate
fully in the global nuclear industry and trade, and to
strengthen the non-proliferation regime.
"Canada’s decision to join the N.S.G. consensus marks a
turning point in our relations with India and will help to
facilitate a more comprehensive and robust bilateral
relationship," David Emerson, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
said, supporting N.S.G.'s decision to allow nuclear trade with
New Delhi.
Hailing the grant of the N.S.G. waiver to India, a
"pleased" Britain has said the move would strengthen the
global non-proliferation regime and make "a significant
contribution" to energy and climate security.
The green signal by the N.S.G. to India that ends the
country's 34-year-old nuclear isolation "represents a gain for
the non-proliferation regime" by bringing New Delhi further
into the broader non-proliferation framework which the UK
firmly supports, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband
said.
China, seen as one of the sceptics, described the
Indo-US civil nuclear deal as "contentious". China, which had
reservations in granting a waiver to India, hoped that the
N.S.G. would "equally address the aspirations of all parties,"
an apparent reference to its key ally Pakistan, for the
peaceful use of atomic energy.
The trade waiver paves the way for a US reversal of
more than three decades of policy. India has been subject to a
nuclear trade ban since it first tested an atomic weapon in
1974.
Hailing the grant of the N.S.G. waiver to India,
Secretary Rice said the time is "very short" for the approval
of the Indo-US nuclear deal in the Congressional session
beginning tomorrow.
"I don't think most people thought that we were going
to be able to get this through the N.S.G. this weekend," she
said, according to a transcript released here.
Taking note of India's unilateral moratorium on nuclear
testing, British Foreign Secretary Miliband said the "clear
commitment" expressed by India in this regard "is also
important."
Miliband said the UK has supported the Indo-US civil
nuclear initiative from the beginning. "We believe it will
make a significant contribution to energy and climate
security, as well as developmental and economic objectives,
for India and the International Community."
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Emerson said India
is a "responsible democracy that shares with Canada the
fundamental values of freedom, democracy, human rights and
respect for the rule of law".
"It has made substantial commitments to achieve the
trust of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, including a safeguards
agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency that
will allow the Agency to monitor additional civilian nuclear
facilities in India," Emerson said.
Addressing the third day of excruciating negotiations
of the N.S.G. in Vienna yesterday, Cheng Jingye, head of the
Chinese delegation, pointed out that Beijing hoped that the
decision made by the grouping would "stand the test of time
and contribute to the goals of nuclear non-proliferation and
peaceful use of nuclear power."
"It is also China's hope that the N.S.G. would equally
address the aspirations of all parties for the peaceful use of
nuclear power while adhering to the nuclear non-proliferation
mechanism," he said, apparently alluding to Pakistan's
repeated attempts to get a civil nuclear deal with the United
States, similar to the Indo-US agreement.
N.S.G. rules ban nuclear trading with India because it
refuses to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty, developed an
independent nuclear programme and conducted its first nuclear
test in 1974.
Officials said the landmark breakthrough came after
President Bush personally intervened to lobby allies at the
nuclear group to approve the trade waiver. PTI
