As the meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was extended by a day after two days of deliberations proved to be inconclusive, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went into a huddle with external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee and National Security Advisor (NSA) M K Narayanan.
The prime minister is believed to have discussed with Mukherjee and Narayanan the reservations expressed by countries like Austria and New Zealand over the draft waiver and the Chinese opposition to the move to grant India the waiver.
Sources said the Indian leadership has been a little surprised by the Chinese vehemence late in the NSG discussions last night. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jienchi is making a visit to India next week. He arrives in Kolkata tomorrow and later in Delhi early next week.
However, the sources said, India has left the job of convincing the NSG members on the USA, which is believed to be talking to those opposed to the waiver and those having strong reservations.
After marathon NSG discussions that spilled over to wee hours today in Vienna, diplomats of the 45-member nuclear cartel are meeting again today to consider the case of exemption for India to resume commerce with other countries.
Mukherjee conceded that four countries were having “some reservations.” “Efforts are on to evolve a consensus. I can't give you any comments. It is not not possible to give you anything unless I get a full report from our negotiators and diplomats who are stationed in Vienna,” he said.
