India sure of China’s support for nuclear group’s membership
Swaraj said Sunday that an Indian Foreign Ministry official recently visited Beijing and held discussions on the membership issue.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said that China is not blocking India’s entry to the Nuclear Supplier’s Group (NSG) but is talking about the criteria and procedures. “The NSG entry is crucial for India’s energy policy. China is not blocking India’s entry to the NSG. It is only talking about criteria and procedures… I am hopeful that we would be able to convince China to support our entry to the NSG,” Swaraj said.
Swaraj also asserted that India is not going to oppose entry of any nation to the NSG, adding that their application should be considered on merit basis. “As far as entry of Pakistan is concerned, India, being a non-member of the NSG, cannot comment on their entry and their role. But we will not oppose entry of any nation to the NSG and will support their bid. We think that the application of each country should be considered on the basis of their merit,” she said.