HANNOVER: In its quest for support for the removal of Nuclear Suppliers Group restrictions on trade in nuclear technology, India wrung a half concession from Germany on Sunday.
After a one-hour meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that her country will do business with India in civilian nuclear energy if the US Congress ratifies the Indo-US nuclear agreement. “I think we are on a positive path,’’ she said.
Indian officials seemed satisfied with Merkel’s statement, claiming that it showed a shift from Germany’s earlier negative position.
In fact, just two weeks ago, the German press had reported that Merkel had complained to US President George Bush against the agreement with India. She told him that it would unravel the nonproliferation regime and different standards cannot be applied to India and Iran.
Given this attitude, Merkel’s comments today seemed almost positive. While Germany is not willing to be a pro-active supporter of India in the NSG like France and Russia, at least it has said clearly that it will follow the US line on the issue of removing restrictions for India.
The shift is significant because tomorrow, while the PM will be in Berlin to meet the German President, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khurshid Mohd Kasuri will also be in the same city to hold talks with his German counterpart.
The Pakistani Foreign Office said today that the Indo-US nuclear deal will top Kasuri’s agenda in Germany. And Kasuri will obviously register Pakistan’s opposition to the deal.
At today’s joint press conference with the PM, Merkel evaded a question on her Foreign Minister’s upcoming talks with Kasuri.
In fact, she seemed visibly embarrassed and diverted the issue by saying ambiguously that Germany does not speak in different languages to its friends.
