Norway, a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group whose go-ahead is crucial to Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, has suggested that India sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty to help its bid for integration in the world nuclear order.
Asked if Norway will like to see India sign the CTBT and then support India in the 45-nation NSG, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Garh Store told television channel NDTV on Thursday: 'I think that at least it will be a very positive step.'
To a question if Norway will put a pre-condition for India signing the CTBT, he said: 'No. It is not. But as I have said, it will be a very positive sign. I told my Indian colleagues that we very much welcome India's positive approach to the test ban treaty to contribute to strengthen the regime so that we do not see further proliferation.'
Asked if Norway was little more positive about civil nuclear cooperation with India after the US Congress legislated on it, Store said: 'I think it is leaning on the more positive side because I think what happened in the Congress raised more dimensions to this in order to avoid a general weakening of the international scheme we have for controlling these issues.'
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