NEW DELHI, June 19 - As India makes a determined bid to get NSG membership, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said that China was not opposing its entry even as Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar made an unannounced visit to Beijing on June 16-17 to secure its support.
Stating that China is talking only about the criteria and procedures to be adopted for membership of the elite 48-nation atomic trading bloc, Swaraj said India was hopeful that it will be able to convince China to give its backing. The NSG works under the principle of unanimity and even one country�s vote against India can scuttle its bid.
Swaraj also said that India was confident of getting membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) this year.
�China is not opposing membership of India in NSG, it is only talking of criteria and procedure. I am hopeful that we would be able to convince China as well to support our entry to the NSG,� she told a press conference here.
�I think that there is a consensus which is being made and I am sure that India will become the member of the NSG this year,� she said, adding, the NSG entry �is crucial� for India�s energy policy. �I�m myself in contact with 23 nations, one or two have raised concern, but I think consensus is there.�
Swaraj said that instead of talking about criteria with respect to India�s bid its credentials should be discussed.
The minister said as far as the entry of Pakistan is concerned, India, being a non-member of the NSG, cannot comment on its entry and its role. �But we will not oppose entry of any nation to the NSG. We think that the application of each country should be considered on the basis of their merit,� she added.
Jaishankar�s visit to Beijing on June 16-17 came a week ahead of the plenary meeting of the NSG scheduled to be held in Seoul on June 24 where India�s membership is likely to be discussed. � PTI
