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VIENNA-Forty-five countries considering lifting a ban on nuclear trade with India welcomed an Indian pledge on Friday to honor non-proliferation pacts it has not signed but some felt it did not go far enough, diplomats said.India, hoping the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) will clear the way for a controversial U.S.-India atomic energy deal to take effect, said it rejected any nuclear arms race and reaffirmed a voluntary moratorium on atomic bomb tests.An Indian Foreign Ministry statement also said India endorsed strict NSG rules against the spread of nuclear weapons, backed global nuclear disarmament objectives and aimed to institute broader U.N. inspections of its nuclear facilities.India spoke up in support of U.S. efforts to push through a one-off waiver of NSG rules to do business with India even though it has shunned treaties against production and testing of nuclear arms and mandating their gradual phase-out.If Washington cannot secure an NSG exemption within days, the U.S. Congress may run out of time to ratify the deal before it adjourns at the end of September for elections, relegating the matter to an uncertain fate under a new president.Decisions by the nuclear export cartel must be unanimous.NSG states praised New Delhi's gesture on Friday as an important, timely step forward, diplomats said.John Rood, the acting U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, said India's statement had lent "positive momentum" to efforts to hammer out an NSG waiver.To read more go to:
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