France asks NSG members to allow India in

On the eve of the NSG plenary in Seoul, South Korea, France on Wednesday strongly supported India's bid for a membership in the bloc that controls global atomic trade and technology, saying New Delhi's inclusion "will bolster global efforts against (nuclear) proliferation".

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that India's entry into atomic control regimes "will help better regulate the export of sensitive goods, whether they are nuclear, chemical, biological, ballistic or conventional materials or technologies".

"In line with its active and long-standing support to India's entry to the NSG as a full-fledged member, France calls on its members, who are meeting on June 23 in Seoul, to take a positive decision."

The statement said that India and France have been strategic partners since 1998 and "share common goals regarding the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems".

The French support came even as China ruled out that India's application was on the NSG agenda at a June 23-24 meeting in the South Korean capital.