NSG statement suggests concern over enhancement of Sino-Pak civil nuke cooperation

FRANKFURT - India on Friday took note of the final statement issued after the 20th plenary meeting of the 46-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), specifically with regard to developments concerning non-NSG states.

Sources here said the statement appeared to suggest that the NSG is viewing with concern the reported further cooperation between China and Pakistan for nuclear plants three and four at Chashma, though it did not name the two countries.

The NSG, which met in Christchurch, New Zealand, between June 21 and 25, said in its statement: ” The group to note of briefings on developments concerning non-NSG states. It agreed on the value of ongoing consultation and transparency.”

Welcoming the NSG’s reference to consider the implementation of the civil nuclear cooperation with India, sources here said it should be seen as a general guideline, and added that the NSG waiver to New Delhi in September 2008 “is specific to India and not included in the general statement”.

Sources said New Delhi in the coming days would try to get a sense of what the NSG statement meant in the Indian context, and welcomed the move by participating governments to ” continue considering ways to further strengthen guidelines dealing with the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technologies.”

Sources said that there is a view that this part of the NSG statement takes into account the further cooperation between China and Pakistan on the nuclear front.

For the record, the NSG statement reaffirmed New Zealand’s support for international efforts to avert proliferation of nuclear weapons and to combat nuclear terrorism.

The plenary session welcomed the successful review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and suggested that words must now be converted into action.

Participants at the session also voiced their concerns over the proliferation implications of nuclear tests announced by North Korea and Iran’s nuclear program.

Participants also appealed to all member NSG states to exercise vigilance and coordinate efforts to monitor exports of items that could eventually contribute to nuclear weapons programs.

Existing practices and challenges before NSG members were also expressed, as also how they UNSC resolutions were being implemented relevant to the NSG guidelines.

The next NSG summit is expected to take place in The Netherlands in June 2011. By Ashok Dixit (ANI)