Norwegian PM tight-lipped about NSG help

NEW DELHI: It is well known that the Nordic members of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)-Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark are uneasy about granting special exemption for India to be part of international nuclear commerce, mainly because of the strong domestic non-proliferation lobby in Scandinavian countries.

This wariness was echoed by visiting Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday, when he said that Oslo was hoping for a consensus-based solution at the NSG, when the issue of waiver for India comes up. The NSG works by consensus and opposition by even a single country can halt proceedings. “We recognise India’s right and demand for clean energy is important and essential for its development. We are looking forward to a consensus-based solution,” the visiting leader said. He was unwilling to go beyond this or say outright whether Norway will push India’s case at the NSG. US, Britain, France, Russia, and many other members of the NSG have publicly declared they would support India’s case.

It is not that any of the Scandinavian countries have any problem with India and want to keep New Delhi out because of its refusal to sign the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. But Nordic nations have major concerns about nuclear non-proliferation and many believe that the Bush administration, by making an exemption for India with the signing of the India-US nuclear agreement, has weakened the international non-proliferation regime.

Norway’s prime minister is in India to deliver a speech on sustainable development. Stoltenberg also expressed his concern at the Sri Lankan government’s decision to call off the 2002 ceasefire, brokered by Oslo. “We strongly regret the decision of the Sri Lankan government to pull out of the ceasefire agreement. We appeal to both parties in the conflict to re-engage in talks and find a political solution to the ethnic problem. We don’t believe there can be any military solution and that sooner or later the two sides must get down to negotiations,” Stoltenberg said. However, he was clear that Norway’s role will remain that of a facilitator. “It is for the two sides to find a solution,” the PM said.

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