China to not be the only country unhappy with India's candidature for Nuclear Suppliers Group: Shyam Saran

NEW DELHI: India has strong case in getting membership of the coveted Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and China may not be last man standing blocking India's candidature if Delhi can muster broad support for getting into NSG.

"China may not be last country blocking India's candidature for NSG if Delhi can muster broad support for its membership," noted former Foreign Secretary and PM's ex-special envoy Shyam Saran while delivering an address on "Indo-US civil nuclear agreement-ten years after".

Recalling that China along with Pakistan were not happy with India's effort to get clean waiver from NSG in 2008, Saran, however, pointed out that China was not last country to oppose India's endeavour and sent its support hours before India got waiver in September 2008. It may be recalled few countries in Europe and Asia-Oceania were opposing almost till the end India's bid to get clean NSG waiver.

Pointing out that the India-US nuclear deal has lead to enhancement of strategic partnership with Washington, Saran recalled that how then US President George Bush in 2008 opposed an assertion by then US Secretary of State Condolezza Rice that deal was aimed at commercial benefits of American nuclear industry. Bush, Saran recalled, during a dinner at Washington, said that he did not push the deal for commercial benefits.

The former Foreign Secretary recalled how Indian diplomats and MEA painstakingly and discreetly had negotiated nuclear deal with USA between 2005-08. Saran himself played a crucial role in that negotiations.

The address was organised by Delhi-based think tank Society for Policy Studies.