US reaffirms support for Indian entry in nuclear supplies group

Washington, 24th June 2023: The United States has reaffirmed its support for India’s participation in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and pledged to continue working with like-minded allies to achieve this goal.

In a joint statement by the United States and India, US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the critical role of nuclear energy in global decarbonisation efforts. They affirmed nuclear energy as necessary to address the nation’s climate, energy transition, and energy security needs.

The two leaders discussed the continued cooperation development of next-generation compact modular reactor technologies for the home and export markets.

The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that attempts to contribute to nuclear non-proliferation by implementing two sets of standards for nuclear and nuclear-related exports. According to the NSG’s official statement, the NSG was established in 1974 following the explosion of a nuclear device by a non-nuclear-weapon state.

The NSG guidelines include the so-called “Non-Proliferation Principle,” adopted in 1994, which states that a supplier may sanction a transfer only if they are confident it would not contribute to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The NSG standards are consistent with the numerous international legally binding nuclear non-proliferation instruments.