India wants ‘clean’ waiver at NSG
August 29, 2008 – 6:39 pmFor last few weeks India was demanding unconditional waiver from Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). In an understandable dilution of its stand on securing exemption, India said it is seeking a “clean” waiver from the 45-nation grouping. “We have made it quite clear that we are interested in clean waiver from the NSG. We have presented our case. We have made our position clear to interlocutors,” External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters in Delhi.
Unlike the earlier comments, Mukherjee did not talk about India’s insistence on the unconditional waiver. Indian Government has all through maintained that the exemption should be unconditional failing which it will not accept it.
The US has been saying that it was trying for a “clean exemption” and asked India not to talk about “unconditional” waiver as it was “provocative”.
During August 21-22 meeting NSG failed to arrive at a decision on granting waiver to India. Mukherjee’s comments amid this situation, indicates that a number of amendments have been made in the draft that will be presented at NSG meet on September 4-5 in Vienna.