An anti-nuclear pressure group has urged the South African government to oppose India's bid to buy nuclear fuel and technology, the South African Press Association reported.
The Pelindaba Working Group (PWG) said on Monday it had written to South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, calling on her to oppose an exemption for India from the rules of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
"As you know, the NSG operates by consensus, so by blocking such an exemption, South Africa can prevent grave damage being done to the international nuclear nonproliferation regime," PWG coordinator Dominique Gilbert was quoted as saying in the letter.
Gilbert said India was seeking an exemption to cover a nuclear trading agreement it signed with the United States in 2006, according to the report.
India, which for decades has struggled to overcome the exclusion from international nuclear trade resulting from its unwillingness to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), is suffering from a severe shortage of uranium for its nuclear energy program, according to the report.
South Africa is a member of the NSG, which is scheduled to meet next month after an inconclusive meeting in Vienna last week, where a number of countries expressed concern over the U.S.-India pact.
South Africa has reportedly assured India of its unconditional support on the issue.
Gilbert said in the letter that the U.S.-India nuclear agreement effectively sought to grant India the privileges of nuclear weapons states, despite the fact that India had developed nuclear weapons outside the NPT regime.
Source:Xinhua
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