India to continue talks with China for NSG membership

Notwithstanding stiff opposition from China to India’s membership to the elite 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), New Delhi hopes to continue discussions with Beijing and convince it about India’s credentials of joining the premier grouping.  External Affairs Ministry’s spokesperson Vikas Swarup said there was no question of starting discussions in the matter afresh as the process was continuing bilaterally at various levels. “We never stopped our discussions with China at any level. We will continue the discussions till we convince it of our credentials of joining the NSG,” he said, adding that India has an independent relationship with the US as well as China. 

However, he, without naming China, admitted that there was only one country that had created procedural hurdles in India’s bid to gain NSG membership. Some other countries had raised processes-related issues but they were not opposed to India’s inclusion into the group. “It is just that they have a different solution as to how India should enter the group,” he said. 

Swarup said PM Narendra Modi, too, had said that India’s objective was to enlarge areas of convergence and reduce the areas of divergence. India has continued to impress upon China that both the countries would have to accommodate each other’s concerns, interests and priorities. 

Referring to India’s MTCR membership, he said it was expected to facilitate high technology tie-ups with Indian industry and ease access to high-tech items for space/ defence programmes. While membership of the regime would not automatically entail preferential treatment from other partners, it would create grounds for realignment of India in the export control policy framework of other MTCR Partners. 

Swarup said India’s space and defence R&D facilities were removed from the US Entities List when the US recognized India as a MTCR-adherent. “The MTCR membership will not pose any restriction on our national security programmes. Further, India has formal space cooperation with 35 countries, including several MTCR Partners, even prior to joining the MTCR. In coming days, India can be expected to play an even bigger role as a provider of space applications to the global community,” he said.

India’s engagement with the MTCR goes back to 1994 based on a common interest in contributing to international non-proliferation efforts related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) delivery systems. “We announced our intention to adhere to the guidelines and control list of the MTCR in July 2005 as part of the Civil Nuclear Initiative. We conveyed our formal adherence to the guidelines and control list in September 2008. In November 2010, India expressed its interest in joining the export control regimes including MTCR. Following a period of enhanced engagement with the regime and its members, India applied for membership in June 2015. India’s formal accession to the MTCR has taken place on June 27,” the spokesperson said.