PM Modi urges China to make fair assessment on India's entry to NSG

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Tashkent and urged China to make a fair and objectives assessment of New Delhi's application to the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and to judge it on its own merit.

Briefing the media about the meeting, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that Prime Minister Modi had asked China to contribute to the emerging consensus in the ongoing Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) plenary meeting in Seoul.

"In fact the rest of the meeting was devoted to this issue. Prime Minister Modi urged China to make a fair and objective assessment of India's application and judge it on its own merit," Swarup said.

"He (Prime Minister)said China should contribute to the emerging consensus in Seoul," Swarup quoted Prime Minister Modi as saying," he added.

Prime Minister Modi earlier held delegation level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Swarup also informed that during the meeting President Xi welcomed India's accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and said it would strengthen it.

"Prime Minister Modi thanked President Xi for China's support for India's membership of the SCO," he added.

China had earlier on Wednesday again change track on India's entry into the elite club, saying only applications of those countries that signed an atomic Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) will be considered.

The countries, who oppose India's membership, argue that its inclusion in the group would further undermine efforts to prevent proliferation and also infuriate New Delhi's rival Pakistan.

Islamabad, which enjoys the backing of its close ally China, has also responded to India's membership bid and asked for its admission as well.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz had said that the government's "active and successful foreign policy" has blocked India's entry into the NSG, adding that New Delhi would not be able to join the group alone.

He also said that he had recently approached many countries, including Russia, Mexico, South Korea and New Zealand, to gain their support on Islamabad's viewpoint that there should be a criteria-based approach while deciding about inclusion of any country into the NSG.