Jaishankar may travel to Seoul to push for India’s entry to NSG

According to government sources, the Foreign Secretary is watching the situation “very closely” and depending on the “feedback” from the official-level meeting of NSG ahead of the crucial plenary on Thursday and Friday in the South Korean capital, he may travel to Seoul to give a “final push”. The official-level session of NSG started on Monday.

With China leading the opposition against India’s entry to the elite NSG, New Delhi is in a diplomatic overdrive to reach out to countries to support its bid. Senior External Affairs Ministry Official Amandeep Singh Gill, in-charge of ‘Disarmament & International Security’ division, is already in Seoul to “garner” support as well as “explain” India’s case, sources said. 

The main meeting of the NSG Plenary on June 24 will happen a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to Tashkent for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit, which is also being attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Modi may meet Xi on the sidelines of the SCO summit and raise the issue of India’s NSG membership but whether the discussions pave the way for a seat for New Delhi at the nuclear high table is a moot point.

China has been opposed to India’s entry into NSG on the ground that it is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). However, it has been batting for entry of its close ally Pakistan, also not a signatory to NPT, if India were to be inducted into the elite grouping.

India has asserted that being a signatory to the NPT was not essential for joining the NSG, citing the precedent of France. India is seeking membership of NSG to enable it to trade in and export nuclear technology. The membership of NSG, which regulates global trade in nuclear technology, is expected to open up the international market for energy-starved India, which has an ambitious energy generation programme. 

India has set for itself an ambitious target of generating 63,000 MW of nuclear energy by 2030. This membership will help India significantly expand its atomic energy sector.