Former British foreign secretary Jack Straw batted all the way for India on Friday — a day when it added another feather in its nuclear kitty with the passage of the legislation on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal in the Senate.

Saying the Senate’s passage of the legislation to enable the Indo-US civil nuclear deal would strengthen India’s position in the international community, and even help its case for a permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Britain would push for an enabling legislation at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

In an exclusive interview to the Hindustan Times, Straw, now Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal, said, “the NSG is committed to an institutional framework against nuclear proliferation.” “With India’s inclusion (within the NSG) the international peace and security system will be enhanced.”

“How can China (perceived as a major stumbling block in an India-specific waiver permitting India to resume nuclear commerce with NSG members) have any objections to India’s inclusion within this system?”

Straw said in response to a question on whether China would seek to block India’s entry into the NSG. “The Chinese can and will be convinced,” he said.

Dismissing suggestions that China had assisted North Korea’s clandestine efforts, Straw said extending that analogy would mean France had helped Iran acquire nuclear technology. “Maybe that was something that happened well in the past.”

Straw denied that he had been removed from the post of Foreign Secretary at the behest of the United States, because of his alleged “pacifist approach” to Iran, saying he had heard the rumours, but it was “not true.”

“The US did not ask for my removal,” Straw said. “I don’t think the British Prime Minister decides on the composition of his Cabinet in consultation with the United States administration.”

“The US might not be popular,” Straw said, in response to a question about a recent survey that blamed the US as a major threat to the world, “but it is still the key to any peace efforts worldwide.”

“I had served as a Foreign Secretary for five years and the Prime Minister told me he needed me to handle some domestic hot potatoes.”

Acknowledging that it had been a “frustrating” exercise to handle Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Straw said, “The EU3 (Britain, Germany and France), during negotiations, could not get beyond ‘partial reassurances’ that they did not harbour any nuclear weapons ambitions.”

Saying the United Nations “was much weaker without India’s inclusion as a permanent UNSC member,” Straw said Britain had sought a deal to raise the strength of UNSC to 24, with four new permanent members, without veto power. “The deal fell through,” he said, “but we will help India muster the numbers.”