New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) The exception that the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) has made for India in allowing global nuclear trade and fuel commerce with it can weaken the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), says the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND).
“There is a thinking that the India-US (civil nuclear cooperation) agreement would jeopardise the position of NPT,” Yoriko Kawaguchi, co-chair of International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament and former Japanese foreign minister, told reporters here Sunday.

ICNND is a ‘track two’ initiative of Australia and Japan to redirect the global debate on disarmament and non-proliferation. It held a two-day South Asia regional meeting here, which was attended by experts from all the South Asian countries and abroad.

Gareth Evans, a former foreign minister of Australia and ICNND co-chair, pointed out that the India-US nuclear agreement, in the context of which the NSG last year granted an exception to the NPT non-signatory India, “did not necessarily fill our heart with joy”.

“India got the best deal. That’s true. But, not sure, if it was the best deal for the rest of us,” he said.

He felt that the deal was “too soft” as there wasn’t enough “quid pro quo by India” and conditions like signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) could have been imposed on New Delhi.

He felt that if there was a criteria-based approach to allowing nations to trade in nuclear technology, there would have been greater acceptance.

Evans, however, admitted: “India has an excellent non-proliferation record.”

On a query about the controversy in India about the success of the 1998 thermonuclear testing, Evans said the commission’s view was that “there should not be any more testing”.

“There is no need to increase size (of the bomb). There is enough deterrence in the world,” he said.