NSG meeting begins today in Seoul

A week long meeting of Nuclear Suppliers Group will begin at Seoul in South Korea from today. During the deliberations, 48 member countries are likely to take up the membership bid of India in its annual plenary meeting on 24th of this month. Ahead of the key meeting in Seoul, Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar visited Beijing to seek support for India's membership of the elite club.

Meanwhile addressing the annual media briefing in New Delhi yesterday, External Affairs Minister Sushma



Swaraj expressed hope that India will get the membership in the NSG by the end of this year. She said, China was not opposing India’s membership and was only talking about criteria and process for becoming an NSG member. 

Mrs Swaraj, also said, India is not opposed to any country’s entrance into the NSG based on merit, including Pakistan. Earlier talking to an Indian TV channel, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he would support India's membership bid at Seoul meeting.