World | India
Austria believed to grumble, but not to block India's NSG waiver
Despite its dislike of everything nuclear, Austria is expected to allow a waiver to India at the two-day Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meet to be held here on August 21 and 22.
- IANS
- Published: 23:49 August 10, 2008
Vienna: Despite its dislike of everything nuclear, Austria is expected to allow a waiver to India at the two-day Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meet to be held here on August 21 and 22.
"Austria will continue to grumble till the eleventh hour but is not likely to dissent on the day," an Austrian nuclear expert said yesterday.
Many in India had feared that Austria could be one of the dissenting voices, along with a small band of other countries, to block the India-specific waiver at the NSG meet.
Germany, the current chair of the 45-nation NSG, has called an extraordinary plenary session on August 21 in Vienna to consider an India-specific draft circulated by the US to NSG members.
India is not a member of the NSG that in ordinary times meets annually only in May. The US is a founding member. American officials say they will continue to convince NSG members about the merits of nuclear trade with India till the final meet scheduled for early September, probably in Berlin.
"Austria will never block the NSG alone," the expert explained, adding that Austria these days is close to the US.
Austria's exports to the NSG are not huge.
According to Western diplomats, countries that have fuel and nuclear technology to sell are eager to lift the three-decade-old ban preventing India from nuclear trade after it tested a nuclear device in 1974.
'Not non-nuclear'
Atomic Energy Commission chief Anil Kakodkar says that India is not a non-nuclear weapon state. However, the NSG guidelines to judge India are essentially meant for non-nuclear weapon states.
As far as Austria is concerned, it has to resist everything that is nuclear as it has been anti-nuclear for decades.
"Across the entire political spectrum we remain ridiculously, religiously and superstitiously anti-nuclear," an Austrian close to the ministry of foreign affairs said.
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