Russia on Friday said India would continue to enjoy the waiver it received in 2008 from the Nuclear Suppliers Group’s export ban and Moscow wants New Delhi’s full participation in the 45-nation grouping that regulates the global atomic commerce.
Russia’s assurance came after India objected to the new guidelines adopted last month by the NSG on the export of nuclear enrichment and reprocessing equipment which include membership in the NPT as a condition for supply.
At its plenary session in Holland’s Noordwijk on June 20-24, the NSG had voted against the supply of ENR technology to the countries, which have not signed the NPT.
The decision was widely seen as a blow to “clean waiver” granted to India in 2008.
“Adopted in 2011, the NSG Plenary decision to strengthen the monitoring of sensitive nuclear export does not affect the decision of the Group of September 2008 to unfreeze the peaceful nuclear cooperation with India,” russian foreign ministry’s spokesman Alexander Lukashevich was quoted. —PTI