Algeria, Belarus, Cyprus agree to support India at IAEA, NSG

Tehran, July 30 : Foreign Ministers of Algeria, Belarus and Cyprus have reportedly agreed to support India on the India-specific safeguards related to the US-India civil nuclear cooperation deal.

Official sources accompanying External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on his three-day visit to Tehran, confirmed today that Algerian Foreign Minister Murad Madalsi, Belarus Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov and Cypriot Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou have agreed that their respective countries will support India at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting on August 1 and also at the two meetings of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

The news is a positive development for New Delhi, which has gone into overdrive to win approval for the US-India nuclear deal before its placement before the U.S. Congress in the early part of September.

Sources privy to Mukherjee's bilateral meetings told ANI that these three countries were considerate of India's growing energy needs.

They said that in spite of opposition back at home, they have pledged their support to the Indo-US civil nuclear deal and end India's apartheid of nuclear commerce.

Pranab Mukherjee has returned from Tehran after attending the NAM ministerial meet, and after a small halt in Delhi, is heading to Colombo to attend the SAARC Foreign Ministers' meeting. By Naveen Kapoor

ANI