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| India-Pakistan |
| India gets Nuclear Suppliers Group waiver |
| 2008-09-06 |
| Vienna (PTI): In a major success for India's nuclear ambitions, the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on Saturday granted it a crucial waiver that will enable it to carry out nuclear commerce, ending 34 years of isolation enforced in the wake of the 1974 Pokharan nuclear tests. The unprecedented decision of the 45-nation nuclear cartel giving exemption to a country which has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a landmark step in the implementation of the Indo-US nuclear deal that will now go to the US Congress for approval. "After protracted negotiations, the NSG on Saturday adopted an exemption for nuclear exports to India," the Austrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "There is a sense of relief. I am particularly happy that the waiver (for India) meets with international nuclear non-proliferation architecture," Peter Launsky, Austrian foreign ministry spokesman said after an unscheduled meeting of the NSG here. Austria, along with Ireland, New Zealand and Switzerland had expressed strong reservations over the waiver being given to India that forced the grouping to have an unscheduled meeting on Saturday after two days of deliberations failed to produce a consensus. China, which had on Friday joined these countries, on Saturday did not oppose the waiver but raised some questions regarding specific issues. After the consensus was adopted, Beijing expressed its stated position. Some changes have been made to the revised draft of the waiver to assuage concerns of the sceptic countries but details of the exact changes were still not available. Hectic behind the scene negotiations marked the diplomatic triumph for India in which the US played a major part by talking to the naysayers in extended late night discussions. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's statement yesterday reaffirming India's commitment to non-proliferation and disarmament goals and the reference to its voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing appears to have played a major role in placating the countries that had strong views on proliferation. The four countries were initially not fully satisfied with the statement and wanted this commitment to be incorporated in the US-steered draft waiver. They also wanted inclusion of the consequences that would follow a nuclear test. But India had been opposed to inclusion of any conditionalities which it felt would undermine its sovereign right to undertake a nuclear test. New Delhi is not a member of the NSG which takes decisions on the principle of consensus. US acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control John Rood, who steered Washington's campaign in the NSG, described on Saturday's decision as "landmark". He said it was an "important moment" for strengthening non-proliferation regime. Asked what was the main factor that led to the breakthrough, Launsky said on Friday's statement of Mukherjee assuaged the concerns of Austria and like-minded members making a contribution in achieving the objective. The relief is also there for Austria particularly in the Indian Government's plan for separation of 14 power plants that will come under the inspection of the UN atomic watchdog IAEA. Austria also issued a statement saying it withdrew its objections after Mukherjee's statement which, it said, was decisive. The US officials also contended that transferring nuclear technology to India will bring its atomic programme under closer scrutiny and boost international non-proliferation efforts. "This is a historical moment for the NSG, for India and for India's relations with the rest of the world," Rood said, adding the "very important" statement issued by Mukherjee yesterday played a major role in discussions at the meeting. He underscored that it was "a critically important moment" for meeting the energy needs of India and dealing with global challenge of clean energy. Rood appreciated NSG members for their willingness to approach the dialogue constructively and in a manner in which "even with regard to most serious concerns, there was willingness to find a way, to reach a kind of compromise that is necessary in multilateral negotiations. "Countries had particular concerns, particular historical experience" but they approached the issue with the required "constructive and cooperative" attitude, he added. Britain said it was happy that a compromise had been reached. "We're very pleased that we were able to reach a compromise that everyone could live with," British envoy Simon Smith said. The NSG was founded after India's 1974 atomic tests. Officials said US President George W Bush personally lobbied with allies for the waiver. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #2 brow-beaten diplomats! Oh...the horror |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-09-06 15:06 |
| #1 Current and former Indian and US officials who spoke to The Times of India on background described dozens of phone calls "at the highest levels" on Thursday and Friday night to various principals across the world to get the deal through. Among them were calls to Chinese president Hu Jintao and leaders of Ireland, Austria, and New Zealand. "At the highest levels," is a euphemism for President Bush, whose single-minded pursuit of this deal was largely instrumental in getting it through in the waning days of his second term. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice too pulled her weight, making calls from her Trans-Atlantic that took her to Portugal on Thursday and a historic, path-breaking visit to Libya on Friday. "There wasn't a moment when anyone in Washington took its eyes of the ball," one official said, rebutting earlier questions about the lack of a sense of urgency or purpose in Washington. Not that Uncle Sam was delicate in the pursuit of its objective. In fact, the word out of Vienna is that US strong-arm tactics left plenty of bruised feelings. "For the first time in my experience of international diplomatic negotiations, a consensus decision was followed by complete silence in the room. No clapping, nothing," one European diplomat complained to Reuters. "It showed a lot of us felt pressured to some extent into a decision by the Americans and few were totally satisfied." |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-09-06 14:57 |