Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

India fully committed to nuclear disarmament: PM

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, June 9, IRNA
India-Nuclear Weapons-PM
Reiterating that India has no intention to engage in an arms race with anyone, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh Monday said that India is fully committed to nuclear disarmament that is global, universal and non-discriminatory in nature.

"We seek a world in which power flows through the empowerment of people, and from the strength and resilience of our economy, our society, our institutions and our values," said Prime Minister while inaugurating an international conference titled "Towards A World Free Of Nuclear Weapons" in New Delhi.

"India is ready to add its own weight and voice to the global debate on nuclear disarmament with a view to crafting such a consensus on disarmament and non-proliferation. We need a collective approach anchored in a universal partnership that is supported by non- governmental communities and public opinion," the Prime Minister added.

"India takes great pride in hosting this international conference on a subject that touches upon the very survival of mankind," said Singh.

Speaking on the theme of "A World Free of Nuclear Weapons" he introduced an Action Plan calling on the international community to negotiate a binding agreement on general and complete disarmament. At the heart of the Action Plan was a commitment to eliminate all nuclear weapons in three stages by 2010.

The two-day conference, organized by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a non-government think tank, is attended by disarmament experts and former diplomats from India, the US, China, Russia, Australia and Canada.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Mani Shankar Aiyar, minister for Panchayati Raj and a former aide to Rajiv Gandhi, will also address the conclave. Vice-president Mohammad Hamid Ansari will deliver the valedictory address.

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