July 28,2017:      Supporting India’s membership bid to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Trump administration has urged all the members of the elite club to support New Delhi’s long-pending application. In a joint report, Defence and State Departments said, the US has called on NSG members to support India’s application and it continues to re-affirm that India is ready for the membership. India has applied for the membership of the 48-member NSG which controls the nuclear trade.

In the report submitted to Congress as required under National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2017, the Trump administration also re-affirmed its support for India’s membership in the Australia Group and Wassenaar Arrangement as soon as India meets each group’s membership criteria.
The report said, the US and India share a commitment to preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.
China has been opposing India’s bid on the grounds that it is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). China’s opposition has made India’s entry into the group difficult as it is guided by the consensus principle.

A plenary meeting of the NSG in Bern last month had discussed India’s membership bid and decided to hold another meeting in November to discuss the issue.      (AIR NEWS)