'US circulates draft seeking India-specific exceptions in NSG rules

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Washington, Mar 30 (UNI) The United States has circulated a draft text at a recent consultive group meeting of the Nuclear Supplies Group (NSG) in Vienna, for possible adoption by the 45-nation group, in a bid to seek India-specific exceptions to NSG guidelines for implementing the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.

The draft text reveal that it would not only erode rules-based efforts to curb spread of nuclear weapons, but it would also allow other states to interpret the India-specific rule as they see fit and undermine how US policy-makers would like to see such a rule applied.

According to Mr Daryl G Kimball, of the Arms Control Association (ACA), the draft text reveals that the Bush administration is proposing an NSG rule-change that would not only erode rules-based efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons, but it would also allow other states to interpret the India-specific rule as they see fit and undermine how the US policymakers would like to see such a rule applied.

The NSG, which operates by consensus, has guidelines that restrict trade with non-nuclear-weapon states (including India) that do not accept full-scope International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.

Mr Kimball, says the March 22-23 meeting included a general discussion of the US-India nuclear cooperation proposal, but apparently no specific discussion on the proposed US text that would create a loophole in NSG trade restrictions.

In the discussion, he said France, Russia and the United Kingdom, as expected, expressed general support for the proposal, but the rest, including Japan and China, asked numerous questions, many of which were very critical.

The skeptical reaction of the majority of NSG members, represents a setback for the Bush administration, says Mr Kimball, a known critic of the nuke deal.

There was no agreement to put the US proposal on the formal agenda of the NSG plenary meeting from May 29 to June 2 in Brazil, he said.

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