Only Indian media covering crucial NSG talks

No international mediapersons were present for the late night coverage on the first day of the crucial 26th Plenary of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group here on Thursday.

Only reporters covering the crucial NSG meet, which was expected to take a decision on inclusion of non-NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory) states into the 48-member elite group, were from India, a non-member nation, which aspires to be a member of the group.

The Indian mediapersons who were covering the event that lasted for three hours included Suhasini Haider, Deputy Resident Editor and Diplomatic Affairs Editor, The Hindu; Smita Sharma, Deputy Editor and Foreign Policy in-charge, India Today; and Ashutosh Mishra, a correspondent with Asian News International (ANI).

Even as China was making tall claims of cornering India at the NSG meet, its mediapersons left the venue by the evening.

Meanwhile, the first-day meeting of the NSG concluded here with no consensus emerging on India's induction to the elite group so far.

However, India's hope has not been shattered yet, with the deliberations by heads of the NSG delegations set to resume tomorrow.

Meanwhile, highly placed sources told ANI that China is not the sole opponent to India's membership to the NSG, but Brazil, Austria, Ireland, Turkey and New Zealand too have opposed India's entry, citing it's not being a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) for nuclear weapons and weapons technology.

Mexico, however, backed India's membership.

Sources further said the meet also did not discuss the induction of Pakistan into the elite group.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tashkent early today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to make a fair and objectives assessment of New Delhi's application to the NSG and to judge it on its own merit.