After a day-long meeting, delegates to the 45-member nuclear cartel expressed optimism over a consensus to end the country’s three-decade long nuclear isolation by Friday. “We are close to a consensus. There may be a statement for the Press on Friday,” a western diplomat, who refused to be identified either by name or country, said after the delegates considered a revised US draft waiver at the conclusion of the second session of the opening day of the two-day meeting.

The draft waiver included provisions like the NSG chair informing the nuclear club about India’s adherence to its guidelines after holding consultations with the country, a move aimed at pacifying countries having reservations.
Asked about the countries that have raised questions and expressed reservations over a clean waiver, the diplomat said they are positive and flexible.

‘Historic opportunity’

A number of countries like New Zealand, Austria, Norway, Ireland, The Netherlands and Switzerland were not satisfied with the present draft even as the US pushed for a consensus by projecting the waiver as a “historic opportunity” to bring the largest democracy and one of the biggest economies into the global nuclear mainstream.

“I believe we are making steady progress in this process and we will continue to make progress,” US Undersecretary of State William Burns told reporters at the end of first round. Foreign Secretary Shivshanker Menon and Prime Minister’s special envoy Shyam Saran were in touch with American officials through out the day. “The US believes firmly that the steps we are considering for India will strengthen non-proliferation and help to welcome one of the world's largest economies and biggest democracies more fully into the global fold,” Burns said.

One diplomat said there could be minor changes in the draft waiver but it is not clear whether there would be conditionalities in the waiver. Diplomats are expected to informally hammer out an acceptable formulation on Thursday night which can be brought to the table on Friday. Some of them were confident of a breakthrough without the NSG having to meet for the third time to consider the revised American draft.

Mulford meets Narayanan

New Delhi, DHNS: The American ambassador to India, David Mulford, on Thursday called on National Security Advisor (NSA) M K Narayanan, ostensibly to soothe the ruffled feathers in New Delhi in the wake of the “leak” of a secret letter from the Bush administration to the US Congress.

The Atomic Energy Commission chairman, Anil Kakodkar, and other officials of the Prime Minister’s Office were also present during the meeting. According to the sources, New Delhi did express to the US its displeasure over the “leak”, which came just a day before the NSG met again to consider the proposal for a waiver to India.