UK welcomes NSG waiver for India

LONDON: Britain on Saturday welcomed the waiver for India by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), saying it would make significant contributions to global non-proliferation efforts.

"Today's result represents a gain for the non-proliferation regime by bringing India further into the broader non-proliferation framework, a framework the UK firmly supports," British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.

Hailing India's unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing, he said, "India's clear commitment to a voluntary unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing is also important."

"It is very welcome that the Nuclear Suppliers Group has reached agreement on civil nuclear co-operation with India," he said in a statement on conclusion of the agreement on Civil Nuclear Co-operation with India in Vienna.

Miliband said the UK has supported the Indo-US Civil Nuclear initiative from the beginning. "We believe it will make a significant contribution to energy and climate security, as well as developmental and economic objectives, for India and the International Community."

India's nuclear isolation ended today after the NSG gave the go-ahead for the Indo-US atomic deal after three days of intense negotiations and political manoeuvres.

Overcoming fierce obstacles with China, Austria, Ireland and New Zealand holding out till the last minute, the historic India-specific waiver putting behind the country's 34 years of nuclear apartheid finally got the approval of the NSG which cleared a revised US draft by consensus.

The deal will now go to the US Congress for approval in the next few weeks before it can be operationalised.