New Delhi:The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is all set to meet in Vienna on Thursday to consider waiver for India amid a cloud of uncertainty over the initiative even as China today sought to allay apprehensions about it blocking the move.

A few countries, particularly New Zealand and Austria, continue to have reservations over the initiative even after the original draft waiver was amended to address concerns of the sceptic nations.

Feeling that the amendments in the draft are only cosmetic in nature, they are expected to voice their concerns with regard to non-proliferation at the two-day meeting of the 45-nation grouping.

China, too, appeared yesterday to be joining the sceptic countries when its Communist Party s mouthpiece People s Daily described the Indo-US nuclear deal as a "blow" to non-proliferation.

However, the Chinese Government today indicated that it will not block the initiative. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said Beijing has always played a "positive role" at the meetings of the NSG as it believes all countries have the right to develop nuclear energy while observing the obligations of the non-proliferation regime.

The NSG works by consensus and even if one country opposes the waiver, the move will be scuttled.

The US, which has the responsibility of garnering consensus in favour of the waiver for India, is pushing the sceptic countries to support the initiative as it believes it is good for the world.
Source : PTI