German Chancellor Merkel arrives & wants India to sign CTBT

NEW DELHI: Observing that some features of the Indo-US nuclear deal were “worrying”, key Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) member has asked India to sign CTBT and Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) before it could consider support to the initiative.

Special envoy Shyam Saran, during his visit to Germany recently, was told that Germany wanted India to take “more steps” to strengthen the global non-proliferation system, sources said here.The Indo-US nuclear deal issue is expected to figure in discussions between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during her visit here beginning Monday.

“We want India to contribute to strengthening international non proliferation system,” Mr Saran was told when he visited Germany to garner support for the nuclear deal.“There are many features in the deal that would do that (strengthen the non-proliferation regime) but there are some which are still worrying us,” the German establishment said.

Germany wanted India to sign CTBT and also “negotiate, sign and ratify the FMCT”, the sources said while giving details of Mr Saran’s visit.

For operationalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal, the NSG will have to change its rules by consensus and New Delhi is currently engaged in lobbying support for it. Germany has been reluctant to support the Indo-US civil nuclear deal as it fears that the initiative might affect the non-proliferation system.

“We will not be dealing with the issue till all parameters (in the Indo-US deal) are in place. The last pillar in the initiative is safeguards agreement with IAEA. We will have to see the form of the agreement before making our decision,” German Ambassador Bernd Muetzelburg told journalists here a few days back.