September 25, 1998India has expressed its readiness to bring the discussions on its signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, CTBT, to a successful conclusion by September next year. In his address to the UN General Assembly, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that other countries will also adhere to the Treaty without conditions.
AIR correspondent Rattan Saldi reports that the Prime Minister made a very significant statement on the CTBT reflecting India's desire to see that the treaty come into force by September next year. This is the dead line set out for this coming into being. The UN Secretary General Mr.Kofi Annan was overwhelmed by the statement and welcomed India's response. Mr.Vajpayee said that since Pokhran test has enabled India safeguard its national security, we are having discussion with other countries on various issues including CTBT. About expansion of Security Council, Mr.Vajpayee said that Presidents from developing countries as permanent member is inescapable.
AIR correspondent B.I.Saini reports from New York that the significance of Mr. Vajpayee's statement is all the greater, coming after his Pakistani counterpart Mr. Nawaz Sharif's acceptance of adhering to the CTBT. Mr. Vajpayee said India will participate in the negotiations to ban the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons.
Mr. Vajpayee who addressed the General Assembly in Hindi became the first Prime Minister to do so. Our correspondent reports that in his landmark speech, he covered a wide variety of issues including the need for democratisation of United Nations, a global initiative to curb terrorism and a common approach to meet the challenges facing the world economy. Referring to threat posed by terrorism to international peace and security, Mr. Vajpayee said India has had to cope with terrorism, aided and abetted by a neighbouring country for nearly two decades. He said there is a need for collecltive action against countries and organisations which initiate or aid and abet terrorism.
The global economic scenario also occupied an important place in the Prime Minister's address. He said, there can be no turning back on globalisation but at the same time, the world can not allow an unbridled free market system to aggravate economic and social disparities. In this context, Mr.Vajpayee called for a new international dialogue on the future of a global and inter dependent economy.
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