Australia supports NSG membership for India

NEW DELHI: Australia has promised to support India’s full membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and asserted that it is committed to civil nuclear deal with Delhi due to its nuclear non-proliferation record and strategic importance.

The announcement came after talks between visiting Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and her Indian counterpart Salman Khurshid in Delhi on Monday. “I was pleased to inform the Indian External Affairs Minister, Salman Khurshid, of the decision of the Australian government to support India’s full membership of the NSG, just as we will support India’s participation in all of the major export control regimes,” said Bishop at a joint press meet with Khurshid.

India is also seeking membership of multilateral regimes such as Missile Technology Control Regime, Wassenaar Group and the Australia Group.

“Australia’s decision acknowledges India’s emergence as a major producer and potential exporter of nuclear energy and technology,” said Bishop.

This is second meeting between the two ministers in successive months. Khurshid met Bishop in Perth last month.

Australia’s decision to support India’s membership of the NSG comes at a time of growing strategic partnership between the two countries. Australia joined in the NSG consensus decision in 2008 to grant India a clean waiver from rules that had prevented India from engaging in the international nuclear trade with NSG members.

Other NSG members including the USA, UK, France and Russia, have expressed support for India’s NSG membership. Bishop also said that Canberra was committed to a deal to export uranium citing India’s non-proliferation record and strategic importance.