India saw its bid for membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group(NSG) fail as nine other nations rallied around an adamant China to block India’s attempts to gain entry into the elite club of nuclear nations.
Even though United States, and 37 other countries put their weight firmly behind New Delhi’s proposal, as the “Participating Governments reiterated their firm support for the full, complete and effective implementation of the NPT as the cornerstone of the international non-proliferation regime.”
But according to a report published in The Times of India, keeping India out of the elite group of countries that trade in Nuclear technologies holds in itself the possibility of creating new headaches for world powers, especially the United States, as India now looks to hold off on ratifying the Paris Agreement.
It was understood a seat at the NSG would help India clear the Paris Agreement, but having seen its membership bid fail, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has responded by saying:
An early positive decision by the NSG would have allowed us to move forward on the Paris Agreement.
Such a stance by New Delhi will come as troubling news for the Obama administration which wanted India to ratify the pact so it could be brought into power.
The way events transpired at the NSG’s plenary meet in Seoul will also have implications for India’s bilateral relations with China.
While a public admission is lacking, China’s open manoeuvring to hamper India’s global aspirations will take a toll on the already suffering Indo-China relationship.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)