VIENNA, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) failed on early Saturday morning to agree on a U.S. draft for a waiver breaking a nuclear trade embargo imposed on India.
In a possible repeat to a similar meeting late last month, the 45-member NSG failed so far again in Vienna to resolve their differences over whether to allow nuclear fuel and technology exports to India for its civilian use.
The United States has proposed amendments to the previous draft, including an automatic cessation of trade if India tested another atomic bomb. However, the proposal has failed to win over some nations which described the amendments as inadequate.
During the prolonged two-day meeting which extended into early Saturday morning, the United States, Russia and France still stood for a lifting of the nuclear trade ban, while others such as Ireland, New Zealand, and Austria insisted on clearer and harder rules to curb India's nuclear ambition. The meeting was expected to resume later Saturday, diplomats said.
India, meanwhile, has vowed to abide by the nuclear non-proliferation principle as a responsible country, despite the fact that it has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Under a U.S.-Indian agreement signed in March 2006, India will get access to U.S. civil nuclear technology on the condition that India is to separate nuclear facilities for civilian and military use and open its nuclear facilities for inspection.
The agreement, passed by India's parliament in July, would be sent to the U.S. Congress for a final approval if it is endorsed by all members of the NSG, which controls the export and sale of nuclear technology worldwide.
Some experts said the agreement, if implemented, would set a dangerous precedent, which would jeopardize the long-time efforts of the international nuclear non-proliferation mechanism and also trigger a regional nuclear arms race.
On Aug. 1, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreed to sign a nuclear safeguards agreement with India, a move seen as giving the green light to India-U.S. nuclear cooperation.
India conducted its first nuclear test in May 1974. The South Asian country has been under a nuclear trade embargo, which the NSG imposes on countries which are not signatories of the NPT.
