Washington (June 23, 2016) — Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, today praised the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) for refraining from allowing Indian participation in the group. India had sought to join the NSG despite clear guidelines that only members of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should be considered for NSG participation. Senator Markey had previouslyspoken out against plans to set aside these rules for India during a hearing of the Foreign Relations Committee in May.

Below is a statement from Senator Markey:

“Today, the Nuclear Supplier Group reaffirmed its strong support for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by refraining from admitting India. The Nuclear Supplier Group was founded in response to India’s 1974 nuclear test, and it has worked for decades to prevent the sharing of technology that could contribute to the further spread of nuclear weapons. If India joined the Nuclear Supplier Group, it would be the only participating government in the organization that was not a party to the NPT, weakening the NSG’s commitment to the treaty. By refraining from admitting India, the NSG strengthened both the treaty and the broader global nonproliferation regime.”

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