Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
SA backs India on nuclear bid
Support for Prime Minister Modi
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has agreed to support India’s controversial bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group ( NSG), an international body which controls commerce in nuclear materials and technology.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced this at a joint press conference at the Union Buildings in Pretoria yesterday after meeting Zuma.
He thanked Zuma for his promise of support at their meeting.
South African officials had been saying it was not clear if Zuma would agree to back India’s bid. It is controversial because all the present NSG members, including South Africa, are also members of the NPT, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which restricts the possession of nuclear weapons to the five major powers, the US, UK, France, Russia and China.
India acquired nuclear weapons in 1974 and so could not join the NPT, which it in any case regards it as discriminatory.
When she was asked earlier this week about this, South African International Relations and Co- operation Minister Maite Nkoana- Mashabane noted all NSG members were also members of the NPT.
But she hinted in his one-onone meeting with Modi, Zuma might lend his support to India’s bid. India expected to be admitted to the NSG at its last meeting in Seoul, but China blocked it.
Indian officials believe Beijing was acting on behalf of its ally Pakistan, India’s rival, which has also developed nuclear weapons. The officials said China was seeking guarantees that if India joined the NSG, then Pakistan would be allowed to do so too.
But several countries declined to offer this guarantee because although they believe India has given assurances the nuclear materials which India acquired through the NSG would not be diverted into its nuclear weapons, they were not confident Pakistan would do the same.
As part of the international assurances it has given about its peaceful intentions, India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) last month.
Under the MTCR, signatory countries agree not to develop missiles capable of delivering
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Amar Sinha, secretary of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, in charge of Africa, said yesterday in the meeting Zuma had also congratulated Modi on India’s joining of the MTCR.
He noted SA Airways was interested in resuming its flights to India, landing at Mumbai, and that India would be prepared to discuss this, provided Indian airlines could be given reciprocal access to South Africa. – ANA