China tried to scuttle NSG waiver: NSA
National Security Advisor M K Narayanan told the Union Cabinet that it was China which tried to play the spoilsport in India’s efforts to clinch the NSG waiver at the meeting at Vienna.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: National Security Advisor M K Narayanan on Thursday told the Union Cabinet that it was China which tried to play the spoilsport in India���s efforts to clinch the NSG waiver at the recently concluded meeting at Vienna.
After the NSA���s account, the Union Cabinet congratulated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with a loud thumping of tables for fighting heavy odds to clear the NSG hurdle. India���s achievement was all the more unique, Mr Narayanan said, in that it had managed to secure the NSG waiver without signing either the Non-Proliferation Agreement or the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. India, in fact, was the only country to have been accorded that privilege.
The NSA, who briefed the Union Cabinet about all the drama that preceded the NSG���s nod, confirmed that China indeed was the last man standing, and was, in fact, suspected to have played an active, yet covert, role in instigating the governments of New Zealand, Ireland and Austria to keep up with their resistance to India���s attempts to secure the NSG waiver.
It was only after the pressure exerted by the international community, primarily the US, and the strongly-worded demarches issued by the Indian government that Beijing relented and agreed to come on board.
The NSA, it is learnt, gave a detailed account of what transpired at the NSG meet at Vienna and how India succeeded in overcoming the roadblocks posed by the ``Happy Six������ countries and China. The resistance put up the group of six ��� comprising, besides New Zealand, Ireland and Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Norway ��� was smothered somewhat after external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee reassured the member-countries about India���s non-proliferation record and commitment to disarmament.
It had a salutary effect, with the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland becoming the first among the naysayers to fall in line. That left New Zealand, Ireland and Austria. China���s last-minute shocker by its insistence on certain procedural hassles was something that took the Indian negotiators by surprise.
The NSA also sought to allay fears that India would not be able to conduct any more nuclear tests.
After the NSA���s account, the Union Cabinet congratulated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with a loud thumping of tables for fighting heavy odds to clear the NSG hurdle. India���s achievement was all the more unique, Mr Narayanan said, in that it had managed to secure the NSG waiver without signing either the Non-Proliferation Agreement or the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. India, in fact, was the only country to have been accorded that privilege.
The NSA, who briefed the Union Cabinet about all the drama that preceded the NSG���s nod, confirmed that China indeed was the last man standing, and was, in fact, suspected to have played an active, yet covert, role in instigating the governments of New Zealand, Ireland and Austria to keep up with their resistance to India���s attempts to secure the NSG waiver.
It was only after the pressure exerted by the international community, primarily the US, and the strongly-worded demarches issued by the Indian government that Beijing relented and agreed to come on board.
The NSA, it is learnt, gave a detailed account of what transpired at the NSG meet at Vienna and how India succeeded in overcoming the roadblocks posed by the ``Happy Six������ countries and China. The resistance put up the group of six ��� comprising, besides New Zealand, Ireland and Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Norway ��� was smothered somewhat after external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee reassured the member-countries about India���s non-proliferation record and commitment to disarmament.
It had a salutary effect, with the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland becoming the first among the naysayers to fall in line. That left New Zealand, Ireland and Austria. China���s last-minute shocker by its insistence on certain procedural hassles was something that took the Indian negotiators by surprise.
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The NSA also sought to allay fears that India would not be able to conduct any more nuclear tests.
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