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PM concludes his three nation Europe tour after meeting French President Macron

Tags: International Relations

Prime Minister Modi concluded his three nation European tour with a brief stop in Paris to meet the French President Emmanuel Macron on 4 May 2022.

• The Prime Minister started his three nation European tour with a visit to Germany, then he went to Denmark where he also participated in the 2nd India-Nordic Summit meeting and finally he made a brief stop in Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron.
• Prime Minister Modi and the French President Macron held discussions on the entire range of bilateral issues, including cooperation in defence, space, and blue economy, civil nuclear and people-to-people ties.
• President Macron supported India’s bid to become the permanent member of the United Nation Security Council .At present United States, France, United Kingdom, Russia and China are the UN Security Council permanent members .
• France also supported India’s bid to become a member of the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG).
•  Both the leaders issued a joint statement after the meeting in which they expressed concern at the conflict in Ukraine, condemned the civilian death in the region and called for immediate cessation of hostilities.
• However once again India did not condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine which France did.
•  Concerned at the risk of food crisis in the world both the countries expressed their commitment to addressing the risk of an aggravated food crisis, "including through initiatives such as the Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM), which aims at ensuring well-functioning markets, solidarity, and long-term resilience."
• Ukraine was the leading supplier of wheat to the world and due to the war the supply from Ukraine has stopped leading to fear of food shortage in many parts of the world.

Nuclear Supplier Group(NSG)

• It was set up in 1974 after the peaceful nuclear explosion was conducted by India in Pokhran, Rajasthan 1974. 

• The  Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seeks to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the world by prohibiting the supply of any nuclear material or technology which can be used for  developing and manufacturing Nuclear  weapons .

• According to the Nuclear Non proliferation Treaty (NPT) 1969, only five countries can legally make nuclear weapons. These countries are the United States, France , Russia, China and the United Kingdom .  

• In 1994 NSG allowed its member countries to provide nuclear related members to other countries if it is used for peaceful purposes. 

• India wants to be its member  so that it can access the nuclear technology from developed countries to develop its nuclear energy programme.

• India’s membership is opposed by many countries who want India to first sign the NPT under which India will have to give up its nuclear weapons . India says that it needs nuclear weapons to counter China.

• At present 48 countries are the member of NSG