Portugal backs Indo-US nuclear deal, Indian candidacy for the Security Council

New Delhi: Providing a significant boost to India''s campaign for nuclear parity with NPT signatories in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Portugal on Saturday said it was "high time" the international community accepted that New Delhi was "prudent" and also that it had given "enough guarantees" for peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

In another significant gesture, visiting Portugal prime minister, Jose Socrates, also extended his country''s support for India''s candidature for permanent membership of an expanded UN Security Council. Supporting India''s bid he said the world has changed and this needs to be reflected in the UN body. 

These announcements were made after Socrates and his Indian counterpart, Manmohan Singh, held wide-ranging talks.

At a joint press meet, Socrates also promised that Portugal would do its "utmost" to convince others in the 45-member NSG to support India.

"We are convinced that India has given evidence of being prudent in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy," he said. "It is high time the world acknowledged that India has given enough guarantees" on peaceful uses of nuclear energy, he added.

India needs to firm up a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and secure changes in the NSG guidelines to bring into operation the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.