US conveys its backing for India to NSG members

NEW DELHI: As Narendra Modi heads to the historic Uzbek capital Tashkent on Thursday to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, the US has stepped up diplomatic efforts globally to push India’s membership to the Nuclear Supplier’s Group ( NSG) whose plenary is being held simultaneously in Seoul on Thursday and Friday.

The US has conveyed its support to India’s application to all 48 NSG members at the highest level, sources informed. Washington has been both publicly and privately pushing India’s entry into the club that will allow advanced civilian nuclear and state-of-the art defence technology to New Delhi. Modi lands in Tashkhent on Thursday afternoon and is expected to meet Xi on the same day.

India along with Pakistan will be admitted as SCO members through signing of MoU at the Summit in Tashkhent. This will be followed by accession to 30 MoUs over the next few months to complete the process of accession to the SCO. Modi will also meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday besides few other Central Asian leaders.

Joining the US, France issued a public appeal in India’s favour. "In line with its active and long-standing support to India’s entry to the NSG as a full-fledged member, France calls on its members, who are meeting on 23 June in Seoul, to take a positive decision," French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.