The Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) opened a two-day meeting yesterday to discuss a US draft for a waiver breaking a nuclear trade embargo imposed on India.

After failing to reach any consensus over the draft late last month, the 45-member NSG met again in Vienna in a bid to resolve their differences over whether to allow nuclear fuel and technology exports to India for its civilian use.

The United States, Russia and France stood for a lifting of the nuclear trade ban, while others such as Norway, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Austria insisted on amendments to the draft.

Under a US-Indian agreement signed in March 2006, India will get access to US civil nuclear technology on the condition that India is to separate nuclear facilities for civilian and military use and open its nuclear facilities for inspection.

The agreement, passed by India's parliament in July, would be sent to the US Congress for a final approval if it is endorsed by all members of the NSG, which controls the export and sale of nuclear technology worldwide.

Some experts said the agreement, if implemented, would set a dangerous precedent, which would jeopardize the long-time efforts of the international nuclear non-proliferation mechanism and also trigger a regional nuclear arms race.

On Aug. 1, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreed to sign a nuclear safeguards agreement with India, a move seen as giving the green light to India-US nuclear cooperation.

India conducted its first nuclear test in May 1974 and so far has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The South Asian country, therefore, has been under a nuclear trade embargo, which the NSG imposes on countries which are not signatories of the NPT.