Pressure on India to sign NPT

The new US administration is keen on working with India to strengthen the global non-proliferation system. The Obama administration wants to build on a U.S.-India civilian nuclear power deal to work with the Indians. There is already a lot of pressure building up on India to sign the CTBT and NPT. Pakistan as always has indicated that it will sign only if India does refocusing global pressure on India to sign the global nuclear non-proliferation agreements. Israel is the only other country which has not signed the agreement.  Obama administration has been emphasizing that both the United States and India have the responsibility to help to craft a strengthened NPT regime to foster safe, affordable nuclear power to help the world’s energy and environment needs, while assuring against the spread of nuclear weapons. The 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group had in September 2008 agreed to lift a ban on nuclear trade with India imposed after its first nuclear test in 1974 and for its refusal to join the NPT. Washington overcame significant opposition to win the NSG waiver in order to implement the nuclear cooperation pact, a key strategic, clean energy, environmental and commercial goal of the United States. On the other hand, the NSG waiver has come as a huge boost of India as it means the country is “now accepted as a partner in the global nuclear domain.” However, despite the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) nod for the historic India-US nuclear deal, Australia, one of the world’s largest producers of uranium, has made it clear that it is unwilling to export it to India unless New Delhi signs the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Sphere: Related Content