DATE=9/24/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-239195
TITLE=INDIA / U-N / NUCLEAR (L)
BYLINE=MAX RUSTON
DATELINE=UNITED NATIONS
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: INDIA SAYS IT HOPES TO SIGN THE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY
WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR -- MEETING A SIMILAR PLEDGE MADE BY PAKISTAN
WEDNESDAY. CORRESPONDENT MAX RUSTON REPORTS INDIA'S PRIME
MINISTER MADE THE PLEDGE (THURSDAY) IN A SPEECH TO THE UNITED
NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
TEXT: INDIAN PRIME MINISTER ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE TOLD THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY HIS COUNTRY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CARRY OUT
NUCLEAR TESTS EARLIER THIS YEAR. HE SAID THE TESTS, CARRIED OUT
IN MAY, WERE ESSENTIAL FOR ENSURING A CREDIBLE NUCLEAR DETERRENT
FOR INDIA'S NATIONAL SECURITY.
HE SAID INDIA IS NOW READY TO ENTER NEGOTIATIONS ON SIGNING THE
NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY, WHICH PROHIBITS NUCLEAR TESTS AND
EXPLOSIONS.
/// VAJPAYEE ACT--TRANSLATOR ///
WE ARE PREPARED TO BRING THESE DISCUSSIONS TO A
SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION, SO THAT THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF
THE C-T-B-T IS NOT DELAYED BEYOND SEPTEMBER 1999. WE
EXPECT THAT OTHER COUNTRIES, AS INDICATED IN ARTICLE 14
OF THE C-T-B-T, WILL ADHERE TO THIS TREATY WITHOUT
CONDITIONS.
/// END ACT ///
TUESDAY, PAKISTAN MADE A SIMILAR PLEDGE.
U-N SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN WELCOMED THE TWO PLEDGES AS A
STEP TOWARDS SUCCESSFULLY BANNING NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS. MR. ANNAN
HAD DESCRIBED THE NUCLEAR RIVALRY BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES AS
ONE OF THE MOST WORRISOME DEVELOPMENTS OF OUR TIME.
FORTY-FOUR STATES WITH NUCLEAR POWER CAPABILITY MUST RATIFY THE
TREATY FOR IT TO GO INTO FORCE. TO DATE, 41 HAVE SIGNED THE
TREATY, BUT ONLY 10 HAVE RATIFIED IT. SIGNATURES FROM PAKISTAN
AND INDIA WOULD BRING THE NUMBER OF SIGNATORIES TO 43. NORTH
KOREA HAS NOT SIGNED IT. COUNTRIES THAT HAVE NOT YET RATIFIED
THE TREATY INCLUDE THE UNITED STATES, CHINA, ISRAEL, IRAN AND
UKRAINE. (SIGNED)
NEB/UN/MPR/LSF/RAE
24-Sep-98 8:04 PM EDT (0004 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
