In a severe embarrassment, ironically for both the UPA government and its Left allies — although for quite the opposite reasons — the Non-Aligned Movement countries which are signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty have called for “complete prohibition” of any kind of nuclear cooperation with countries that have not acceded to the NPT. Iran, too, has jumped in, making this part of a formal proposal and calling all NPT members for an endorsement.

At the ongoing meeting of the preparatory committee for the 2010 NPT Review Conference in Geneva, Indonesia, making a statement last week on behalf of NAM countries that have signed the NPT, stated: “Without exception, there should also be a complete prohibition of the transfer of all nuclear-related equipment, information, material and facilities, resources or devices and the extension of assistance in the nuclear, scientific and technological fields to states, which are not parties to the NPT.”

Going beyond this, the statement reads: “The recent developments, in particular the nuclear cooperation agreement signed by a NWS (Nuclear Weapon State) with a non-party to the NPT is a matter of great concern.”

Taking this forward, Iran today included “prevention of transfer of any nuclear material, equipment, information, knowledge and technology to and cooperation with non-parties to the NPT” as one of the key points of its seven-point strategy proposal to combat proliferation. Iran wants this to be taken up at the NPT Review Conference.

While some official quarters here claim that all this could be a reference to Israel given the historical position of the countries from the Middle-East in the NAM that have spoken against alleged US-Israel nuclear cooperation, the sense of disquiet is clear.

... contd.