Jittery Delhi warns NSG against “unilateral” decision
By By Rajiv Singh | 28 Jun 2011
New Delhi: After days of behind-the-scenes posturing, a cautious Government of India (GoI) said Monday that any "unilateral" decision by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) cannot supersede the 'clean waiver' granted to India by the group in 2008 for participating in nuclear trade with its members.
GoI sources said Delhi was in touch with NSG members over its redraft of various clauses that seek to tighten export controls of enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technologies. The NSG's reworked clauses - in all probability – will be used by its members, or some of them, to renege on assurances provided to India in 2008 about a 'clean waiver' from such export control regimes.
"We are going through the small print (NSG document)...obviously we are in touch with the group but we believe any unilateral decision can't impact the India-specific waiver," the sources said.
At a two-day meeting in the Netherlands last week, the 46-nation grouping "agreed to strengthen its guidelines on the transfer of sensitive enrichment and reprocessing technologies" and also considered "all aspects of the implementation of the 2008 Statement on Civil Nuclear Cooperation with India".
The group also discussed the "NSG relationship with India". It has reason to do so as Delhi jockeys to become a full member of the cartel – a cause that apparently has the full backing of the United States.
For the record, Washington fully backed NSG's last week's move to rework its clauses, and indeed, was its prime facilitator.