Abstract. We discuss realistic nonlocal NN interactions of a new type -J-matrix Inverse Scattering Potential (JISP). In an ab exitu approach, these interactions are fitted to not only two-nucleon data (NN scattering data and deuteron properties) but also to the properties of light nuclei without referring to three-nucleon forces. We discuss recent progress with the ab initio No-core Shell Model (NCSM) approach and respective progress in developing ab exitu JISP-type NN-interactions together with plans of their forthcoming improvements.Significant progress was achieved within the last decade in ab initio studies of light nuclei. Nowadays, due to increased computing power and novel techniques, ab initio approaches like the No-core Shell Model (NCSM) [1], the Green's function Monte Carlo [2] and the coupledcluster theory [3] are able to reproduce properties of a large number of atomic nuclei with mass up to A = 16 and can be extended for heavier nuclei.The ab initio methods require a reliable realistic strong interaction providing an accurate description of NN scattering data and high-quality predictions for binding energies, spectra and other observables in light nuclei. A number of meson-exchange potentials sometimes supplemented with phenomenological terms to achieve high accuracy in fitting NN data (CD-Bonn [4], Nijmegen [5], Argonne [6]) have been developed that should be used together with modern NNN forces (Urbana [7,8], Illinois [9], TucsonMelbourne [10,11]) to reproduce properties of many-body nuclear systems. On the other hand, one sees the emergence of NN and NNN interactions with ties to QCD [12][13][14][15].Three-nucleon forces require a significant increase of computational resources needed to diagonalize a manybody Hamiltonian matrix since the NNN interaction increases the number of non-zero matrix elements approximately by a factor of 30 in the case of p-shell nuclei. As a result, one needs to restrict the basis space in many-body calculations when NNN forces are involved that makes the predictions less reliable. Ab initio many-body studies benefit from the use of recently developed purely two-nucleon interactions of INOY (Inside Nonlocal Outside Yukawa) [16,17] and JISP (J-matrix Inverse Scattering Potential) [18-21] types fitted not only to the NN data but also to binding energies of A = 3 and heavier nuclei. At the fundamental level, these NN interactions are supported by the work of Polyzou and Glöckle who demonstrated [22] that a realistic NN interaction is equivalent at the A = 3 level a e-mail: shirokov@nucl-th.sinp.msu.ru to some NN + NNN interaction where the new NN force is related to the initial one through a phase-equivalent transformation (PET). It seems reasonable then to exploit this freedom and work to minimize the need for the explicit introduction of three and higher body forces. Endeavors along these lines have resulted in the design of INOY and JISP strong interaction models.We discuss here the progress in development of the JISP NN interactions and related progress in NCSM studi...