India can expect Japan's support at NSG meet

NEW DELHI: India could expect the support of Japan at the upcoming Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meeting, with a senior official of the country on Monday saying that Tokyo understands New Delhi's energy needs and would adopt an approach that strengthens the non-proliferation regime.

Giving enough hints about his country's expected position at the August 21-22 meeting of NSG in Vienna, Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kazuo Kodama noted that Tokyo had gone with consensus at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting on India-specific safeguards despite having reservations on non-proliferation issues.

Kodama told reporters here that Japan understands India's needs for energy and aspiration for nuclear power in view of growing economy and would "actively participate" in the NSG deliberations when the grouping considers a waiver for India.

The Japanese position would be such, which would strengthen, rather than hamper, the universal non-proliferation system.

The statement is significant as the US, Russia, Britain, France and several other countries have been maintaining that giving a waiver to India would strengthen the non-proliferation regime by bringing New Delhi within the system.