New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) Within hours of India giving a nod to the IAEA to proceed with the process of ratifying safeguards pact, US ambassador David Mulford Thursday met envoys of some member states of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to seek their support for the landmark India-US civil nuclear deal. Underlining the benefits of the deal for global non-proliferation order, Mulford impressed upon envoys of the NSG countries that the deal was necessary for India’s energy security, and was in larger interests of the world, an official source told IANS.

The US envoy argued that India deserved an exemption for global civil nuclear commerce due to its non-proliferation record, the source said.

The source, however, did not name specific NSG countries whose envoys Mulford met.

The 45-nation NSG, which controls the global flow of nuclear reactors and technologies, needs to amend its guidelines to facilitate global civil nuclear trade with India, a non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The Indian government Thursday made the draft text of its safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) public after it gave a green light to the IAEA to submit it to the agency’s 35-member board in Vienna for ratification Wednesday night.

The NSG will then decide on granting India a waiver from its existing regime on the basis of the IAEA pact. The deal will, however, become operational only after an endorsement by the US Congress and the signing of the 123 enabling agreement by New Delhi and Washington.