Washington, DC – The United States on Friday (Sept 9) reiterated its unequivocal support for India in the select group of countries clubbed together in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Addressing journalists at the State Department daily briefing, Press Office Director Elizabeth Trudeau said, “The United States remains committed. We believe India is ready for full membership. We will work towards that goal.”
Asked if US Secretary of State John Kerry in a recent visit to China, mentioned the subject with his Chinese counterparts, Trudeau said. “I don’t have those diplomatic conversations to read out, but I think as you know very well and we’ve been very clear since 2010, the United States has made clear our support for India’s full membership in the four multilateral export control regimes. We continue to believe India is ready for the NSG.”
Trudeau continued, “In the last meeting, the NSG participating governments, as you know, did not reach a consensus decision – we spoke about it at the time – to admit any new applicant into the group. We were disappointed in the outcome. We continue, though, and will be, continued to work constructively with India and with members of the NSG on India’s accession in the months ahead.”
Media reports from New Delhi quoted Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar as admitting that bilateral ties with China were “complicated” but stressed that one should not approach the relationship as a zero sum game.
Referring to China blocking India’s entry in the NSG, Jaishankar told a conference there that the NSG membership and other issues, “Should not emerge as an issue of difference.”
Although the US has been pushing for India’s application to join the 48-member NSG that controls trade in nuclear technology and know-how, China apparently blocked India’s bid at the NSG’s plenary session in Seoul in June.