India’s bid for NSG membership blocked as member countries fail to arrive at a consensus

China opposes India's entry to Nuclear Suppliers Group, saying the global non-proliferation order would collapse if New Delhi was allowed exception.

Seoul (South Korea): India will have to wait for some more time to gain membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), as the 26th plenary meeting of the group held in Seoul, South Korea, concluded on Friday without any fruitful results for New Delhi.

- Expressing confidence, the MEA said, "We are confident that the NSG will recognise these benefits as it deliberates further on this issue."

- India’s participation in the NSG will further strengthen nuclear non-proliferation and make global nuclear commerce more secure, Swarup said, adding it would advance energy security and make a difference to combating climate change.

- Commenting on China's claim that India needs to sign the NPT first before joining the NSG, he says there is no contradiction between the NPT and India's closer engagement with the NSG.

- "It is also our understanding that most countries want an early decision. A few countries raised issues regarding the process for India's participation in the NSG. It is self-evident that process issues would not arise if these countries were actually opposed to our participation. This is corroborated by our own bilateral engagement with each of these countries," Swarup says.

- It has been suggested that India’s participation in the NSG requires it to join the NPT. Our stand on the issue is well-known, Swarup said.

- Even as India failed to gain membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Vikas Swarup underlines that a number of countries supported India’s membership and appraised New Delhi’s application positively. On behalf of the nation, he thanked each State. "It is also our understanding that the broad sentiment was to take this matter forward," the MEA said.

- The Nuclear Suppliers' Group says it discussed technical, legal and political aspects of the participation of non-NPT States in the elite group.

- Participating Governments called on all the States to exercise vigilance and ensure effective implementation of all UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) relevant for the working of NSG.

- Brazil supports India's bid for NSG but called for common criteria for all non-NPT states. It further states that New Delhi has by far a better nuclear proliferation record than Islamabad.

- Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launches a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after China and Switzerland opposed India's bid for Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) membership in Seoul meet.

- Canada supports India's bid for NSG in the top body meet, reports say.

- China says it is ready to hold nuclear bilateral talks with India.

- Switzerland, who had earlier extended its complete support, today opposed New Delhi`s bid, citing New Delhi's non-Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) status.

- China does not back Pakistan or India to be admitted in NSG till they follow rules laid down by the members, says Chinese chief negotiator Wang.

- Would like to see healthy bilateral relations between India and China, like to see them work out whatever differences they have, says US State Department.

- Have made it very clear how seriously we want India’s application to be taken up inside Nuclear Suppliers Group, says US State Department.

- NSG top body heads of delegation meet begins in Seoul.

- High-level NSG meet to continue on Friday in Seoul, delegates arrive at the venue.

- High-level NSG meet to continue on Friday in Seoul, induction of non NPT countries like India to be discussed

- Members of NSG to visit DMZ (demilitarized zone) on Friday, the conflict point between North and South Korea

The first-day meeting of the two-day 26th Plenary of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group concluded here late Thursday evening with no consensus emerging on India's induction to the elite group so far.

However, India's hope has not been shattered yet, with the deliberations by heads of the NSG delegations set to resume on Friday.

Meanwhile, highly-placed sources told news agency ANI that China is not the sole opponent to India's membership to the NSG, but Brazil, Austria, Ireland, Turkey and New Zealand have also opposed India's entry, citing its non-NPT status.

Mexico, however, backed India's membership.

Sources further said the meet also did not discuss the induction of Pakistan into the elite group.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tashkent early today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to make a fair and objectives assessment of New Delhi's application to the NSG and to judge it on its own merit.

Briefing the media about the meeting, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said Prime Minister Modi had asked China to contribute to the emerging consensus in the ongoing NSG plenary meeting in Seoul.

"In fact, the rest of the meeting was devoted to this issue. Prime Minister Modi urged China to make a fair and objective assessment of India's application and judge it on its own merit," Swarup said.

"He (Prime Minister) said China should contribute to the emerging consensus in Seoul," Swarup quoted Prime Minister Modi as saying," he added.

Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar on Wednesday left for Seoul to make a last minute push for New Delhi's entry into the elite group.

According to sources, this move is being seen as a final push on India's part to make its case. Jaishankar, who is not a part of the negotiations in the NSG's inner circle, will reportedly lobby for India's bid.

This comes days after Jaishankar made a two-day trip to China on June 16 and 17 to discuss the matter with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

China, till now, has been playing the role of a dampener on the issue of clearing the way for India's admission to the NSG by repeatedly stating that it is not on the agenda of the grouping, which began its plenary session in Seoul on Monday.