India thanks Germany for backing its NSG membership bid

India on Tuesday thanked Germany for backing its membership bid in the Nuclear Suppliers Group as the two countries supported each other's candidature for a permanent seat in a reformed UN Security Council.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed their commitment to "strengthen global non- proliferation efforts," said a Joint Statement issued after their meeting. The joint statement also said both India and Germany extended "their full support to each other's candidature for a permanent seat in a reformed and expanded UN Security Council."

China is the only major country which has been blocking India's entry into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group. China is advocating a two-step "non-discriminatory" approach for admission of countries who have not signed nuclear-Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in the NSG.

Modi and Merkel also attached particular importance to security, stability, connectivity and sustainable development of the blue economy in the Indian Ocean Region.