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"N-proliferation undermines India's security": Natwar Singh

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, March 28, IRNA
India-Security
In an obvious reference to Pakistan, India today said its security has been undermined by proliferation of nuclear weapons "flowing into or emanating" from its "neighbourhood" and asked the international community to change its "uneven" approach to address the problem in a holistic manner, reported the Press Trust of India (PTI).

Emphasising the need for complete elimination of nuclear weapons across the world, External Affairs Minister K.Natwar Singh declared that India's nuclear programme was defensive in nature and the country was ready to commence negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention.

To address effectively the "emerging proliferation challenges", he said, the international community should "review and re-evaluate" existing frameworks with a view to adapting these to "current political realities".

"The non-proliferation order is coming under increasing stress both on account of the failure to make any significant progress towards nuclear disarmament as well as the failure to prevent clandestine proliferation by members of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as well as some who are outside it," Singh said inaugurating a seminar on "Emerging Nuclear Proliferation Challenges" in New Delhi.

He said the "infirmities" of the non-proliferation order have "imposed costs" on India and have had an "adverse impact on our security, as much of the clandestine proliferation, which is today the focus of attention, has tended to flow into or emanate from our neighbourhood."
Singh was apparently referring to the alleged involvement of A.Q.

Khan, creator of Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme, in
proliferation of nuclear technology.

India has a shared interest in preventing proliferation as "our security has been undermined by such proliferation", the External Affairs Minister said.

He asserted that India should have the right to "retain our freedom of thought and action to take steps necessary for our national security as well as to meet international concerns arising out of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, especially its linkages with terrorism.

He regretted that the response of the international community over the years has been "inadequate at best or permissive at worst, leading to the present adverse situation.

K.Natwar Singh, emphasised during his delivery that India was interested in the non-proliferation of WMDs not only for its own security but for peace and security of the world at large.

2160/2331/1432
::IRNA No.021 28/03/2005 14:50 --End