India Gets Swiss Support For Entry Into Elite Nuclear Club, NSG: 10 Developments

Black money and India's membership to NSG are high on the agenda of PM Modi's visit to Switzerland

GENEVA:  In a huge boost for India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today received Switzerland's support for New Delhi's membership to the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group or NSG.

Here are the latest development:

1. 1. The PM held talks with the President of the Swiss Confederation Johann Schneider-Amman; the issue of black money stashed away by Indians in Swiss banks is expected to be discussed.
2. 2. India is also expected to seek support for the NSG membership it applied for last month. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar has said that Switzerland is an important member of the NSG and that he definitely expects the issue of India's membership to be discussed.
3. 3. PM Modi said before his tour that he will hold "talks with President Schneider-Ammann to deepen our bilateral and multilateral cooperation." He will also meet prominent businessmen and Indian scientists at CERN. "Our agenda will be to expand economic and investment ties," he said. Switzerland is India's fifth largest trade partner and 11th largest investor.
4. 4. The PM will head to the US later this evening. "PM Modi's visit reflects significance that leaders of both nations place on our natural alliance," the US State Department told NDTV on Monday, noting "since 2014, there have been six meetings and countless phone calls" between the two leaders.
5. 5. PM Modi's bilateral meeting with President Barack Obama will focus on climate change, security and diplomatic cooperation, the State department said. They will also have lunch together at the White House.
6. 6. On Sunday, PM Modi was in Qatar, his second stop. "My Qatar visit witnessed fruitful & comprehensive deliberations that will usher a new era of strong India-Qatar friendship," he tweeted after the visit.
7. 7. In Qatar's Doha, the PM addressed a huge gathering of Indian expats and reported on India's economy. The quarterly figures, even as India has faced two consecutive droughts, reflect a praiseworthy 7.9% growth rate, PM Modi said.
8. 8. India and Qatar have signed seven agreements, covering a wide range of subjects including investment and tourism promotion.
9. 9. On his first stop in Afghanistan, PM Modi inaugurated the Afghan-India Friendship Dam, earlier known as Salma Dam. The Prime Minister was given Afghanistan's top civilian honour Amir Amanullah Khan Award.
10. 10. PM Modi will be in the US for two days and will also address a joint session of the US Congress and meet business leaders, before visiting Mexico on the last leg of his tour. He will return to India on June 9.
11. (Source : ndtv.com)

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