St Petersburg: Amidst reports that India's nuclear programme may be affected by reported pressures from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) of nations on traditional friend Russia to ban sale of nuclear material and equipment, India on May 31 indicated that Moscow was not under any such pressure.

Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal told reporters that Russia has made it clear that it believed that the activities of the NSG should not create obstacles for international co-operation in the field of peaceful use of atomic energy and take into account the new realities in this field in an adequate and timely manner.

He cited a statement made after a plenary session of the NSG comprising 40 countries in Pusan in North Korea that made this position clear.

The Russian position assumes significance in the context of fears about India not being in a position to get the crucial nuclear-related materials and technologies for development of its power facilities.

PTI