The 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) has approved a US plan to engage in nuclear trade with India, by arriving at a consensus to grant a waiver to India from signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty. The NSG waiver was considered one of the toughest hurdles in actualizing the deal as several countries like China, New Zealand, Austria, Norway and Ireland had serious reservation about granting a waiver.
In fact the two day scheduled meeting of the NSG in Vienna stretched for a third day today with the US pushing for a consensus on the waiver. Sources say that the US held meetings with the nay sayers in a separate room to arrive at a consensus.
Sources also confirmed that the draft of the waiver includes Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s statement reiterating voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing. The draft has no mention of automatic termination of the waiver in case India tests, considered a big victory for India.