The United States on Friday has restated that India meets all the requirement to be a member of National Suppliers Group, an elite group of 48 nation.
Defending India’s side, a senior Trump administration held China’s veto liable for blocking India’s membership. Presently, the country is struggling to procure membership in the group and has the support of most of the western countries including the US. Although, China has been repeatedly refusing its membership admission on the ground of not having signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Who supports India?
India’s membership bid managed to gain support from the Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Norway) along with Russia who ensured to always support the country in the bid.
Why is India not a Member of NSG?
As reported by Times of India, Alice Wells, the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, “Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a consensus-based organisation. India has not been able to secure membership as a result of opposition from China.”
In an answer to a question she said, “We have deemed that we’re not going to limit our own cooperation with India based on a Chinese veto. Of course, we moved ahead with an STA One authorisation and we certainly believe that India meets all of the qualifications of the nuclear supplier’s group and will continue to actively advocate on behalf of India’s membership.”
The National Supplier Group deals in preventing nuclear proliferation. Currently, this elite group consist of members like the United States, China, New Zealand, Belarus, Germany, United Kingdom.
India and US as Strategic Partners
The US has assured to support India in its battle for NSG membership. It has positioned India in the inner circle of closest allies by granting STA-1 ( Strategic Trade Authorisation) status. It was signed by former US President George Bush on October 8, 2008.
On the Nuclear deal, the senior State Department official expects that India is likely to exhibit the deal and bear the fruit on its 10th anniversary. She quoted, “With Westinghouse coming out of bankruptcy, we now have an opportunity to cross the finish line to really culminate in what was this historic process that began a decade ago to be able to have one of our premier companies provide in some of the safest and cleanest fuel that will benefit, tens of millions of Indian citizens,”