ID :
18217
Sat, 09/06/2008 - 09:39
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/18217
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India to abide by voluntary moratorium on N-tests: Pranab
New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) India Friday affirmed its commitment to strengthening the non-proliferation regime and vowed to abide by its voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing, a move aimed at assuaging concerns of some N.S.G. countries on giving it a waiver for nuclear commerce.
New Delhi also made it clear that it will not be a source of proliferation of sensitive technologies, including enrichment and reprocessing transfers and will work with the international community to advance the common objective of non-proliferation.
"We remain committed to a voluntary, unilateral
moratorium on nuclear testing," External Affairs Minister
Pranab Mukherjee said in a statement here.
India's assertion came as four countries of the
45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (N.S.G.) stuck to their
reservations on the waiver issue at the two-day meeting of the
cartel in Vienna.
They felt that India could use the N.S.G. exemption to
further its military nuclear programme.
New Zealand, Austria, Ireland, and Switzerland have
sought changes in the draft proposed by the U.S. which
projected the waiver as a "historic opportunity" to bring the
largest democracy and one of the biggest economies into the
global nuclear mainstream.
Mukherjee's statement is significant as it comes soon
after Indian officials led by Foreign Secretary Shivshankar
Menon met representatives of 'sceptic' countries of N.S.G. and
is seen as an attempt to allay their reservations.
An N.S.G. waiver is a key step in the
operationalisation of the nuclear deal which will go to the
U.S. Congress for approval once the atomic cartel gives the
green light.
Recalling former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's vision
for a world free of nuclear weapons presented to the U.N. in
1988, Mukherjee said "India has a long standing and steadfast
commitment to universal, non-discriminatory and total
elimination of nuclear weapons."
"We do not subscribe to any arms race, including nuclear
arms race. We have always tempered the exercise of our
strategic autonomy with a sense of global responsibility. We
affirm our policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons".
Emphasising that the civil nuclear initiative will
strengthen the international non-proliferation regime, he said
opening of full civil nuclear cooperation will be good for
India and for the world.
"It will have a profound positive impact on global
energy security and international efforts to combat climate
change," he said.
"We stand for the strengthening of the non-proliferation
regime...," he said.
Assuring the international community that it will work
for a non-proliferation regime, the minister said New Delhi is
"interested in participating as a supplier nation,
particularly for thorium-based fuel and in establishment of
international fuel banks, which also benefit India."
Mukherjee said India is approaching the N.S.G. for a
dialogue in a "spirit of cooperation" that allows for an
ongoing frank exchange of views on subjects of mutual interest
and concern.
"Such a dialogue will strengthen our relationship in the
years to come," he said.
Noting that India has an impeccable non-proliferation
record, Mukherjee said New Delhi has taken necessary steps to
secure nuclear materials and technology through comprehensive
export control legislation and committing to adhere to Missile
Technology Control Regime and NSG guidelines.
"We have in place an effective and comprehensive system
of national export controls, which has been constantly
upgraded to meet the highest international standards. This is
manifested in the enactment of the Weapons of Mass Destruction
and their Delivery Systems Act in 2005," he said.
He noted that India places a great value on the role
played by the I.A.E.A. safeguards system and it looks forward
to working with the atomic agency in implementing the India
specific safeguards agreement concluded with it.
"In keeping with our commitment to sign and adhere to
an Additional Protocol with respect to India's civil nuclear
facilities, we are working closely with the I.A.E.A. to ensure
early conclusion of an Additional Protocol to the Safeguards
Agreement," he added.
Mukherjee pointed out that India has submitted a
Working Paper on Nuclear Disarmament to the UN General
Assembly, containing initiatives on nuclear disarmament.
"These include the reaffirmation of the unequivocal
commitment of all nuclear weapon states to the goal of
complete elimination of nuclear weapons; negotiation of a
Convention on the complete prohibition of the use or threat of
use of nuclear weapons."
It includes "negotiation of a Nuclear Weapons Convention
prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling and use
of nuclear weapons and on their destruction, leading to the
global, non-discriminatory and verifiable elimination of
nuclear weapons within a specified timeframe." PTI
New Delhi also made it clear that it will not be a source of proliferation of sensitive technologies, including enrichment and reprocessing transfers and will work with the international community to advance the common objective of non-proliferation.
"We remain committed to a voluntary, unilateral
moratorium on nuclear testing," External Affairs Minister
Pranab Mukherjee said in a statement here.
India's assertion came as four countries of the
45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (N.S.G.) stuck to their
reservations on the waiver issue at the two-day meeting of the
cartel in Vienna.
They felt that India could use the N.S.G. exemption to
further its military nuclear programme.
New Zealand, Austria, Ireland, and Switzerland have
sought changes in the draft proposed by the U.S. which
projected the waiver as a "historic opportunity" to bring the
largest democracy and one of the biggest economies into the
global nuclear mainstream.
Mukherjee's statement is significant as it comes soon
after Indian officials led by Foreign Secretary Shivshankar
Menon met representatives of 'sceptic' countries of N.S.G. and
is seen as an attempt to allay their reservations.
An N.S.G. waiver is a key step in the
operationalisation of the nuclear deal which will go to the
U.S. Congress for approval once the atomic cartel gives the
green light.
Recalling former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's vision
for a world free of nuclear weapons presented to the U.N. in
1988, Mukherjee said "India has a long standing and steadfast
commitment to universal, non-discriminatory and total
elimination of nuclear weapons."
"We do not subscribe to any arms race, including nuclear
arms race. We have always tempered the exercise of our
strategic autonomy with a sense of global responsibility. We
affirm our policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons".
Emphasising that the civil nuclear initiative will
strengthen the international non-proliferation regime, he said
opening of full civil nuclear cooperation will be good for
India and for the world.
"It will have a profound positive impact on global
energy security and international efforts to combat climate
change," he said.
"We stand for the strengthening of the non-proliferation
regime...," he said.
Assuring the international community that it will work
for a non-proliferation regime, the minister said New Delhi is
"interested in participating as a supplier nation,
particularly for thorium-based fuel and in establishment of
international fuel banks, which also benefit India."
Mukherjee said India is approaching the N.S.G. for a
dialogue in a "spirit of cooperation" that allows for an
ongoing frank exchange of views on subjects of mutual interest
and concern.
"Such a dialogue will strengthen our relationship in the
years to come," he said.
Noting that India has an impeccable non-proliferation
record, Mukherjee said New Delhi has taken necessary steps to
secure nuclear materials and technology through comprehensive
export control legislation and committing to adhere to Missile
Technology Control Regime and NSG guidelines.
"We have in place an effective and comprehensive system
of national export controls, which has been constantly
upgraded to meet the highest international standards. This is
manifested in the enactment of the Weapons of Mass Destruction
and their Delivery Systems Act in 2005," he said.
He noted that India places a great value on the role
played by the I.A.E.A. safeguards system and it looks forward
to working with the atomic agency in implementing the India
specific safeguards agreement concluded with it.
"In keeping with our commitment to sign and adhere to
an Additional Protocol with respect to India's civil nuclear
facilities, we are working closely with the I.A.E.A. to ensure
early conclusion of an Additional Protocol to the Safeguards
Agreement," he added.
Mukherjee pointed out that India has submitted a
Working Paper on Nuclear Disarmament to the UN General
Assembly, containing initiatives on nuclear disarmament.
"These include the reaffirmation of the unequivocal
commitment of all nuclear weapon states to the goal of
complete elimination of nuclear weapons; negotiation of a
Convention on the complete prohibition of the use or threat of
use of nuclear weapons."
It includes "negotiation of a Nuclear Weapons Convention
prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling and use
of nuclear weapons and on their destruction, leading to the
global, non-discriminatory and verifiable elimination of
nuclear weapons within a specified timeframe." PTI
