India reasserts opposition to NPT at UN meet
October 22, 2014, 11:32 am

Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano attends a press conference in Vienna, capital of Austria, on Sept. 15, 2014 [Xinhua]

At the United Nations this week, India also reiterated its stand of “no first use” of nuclear weapons and not targeting non-nuclear weapons states and offered to enter into agreements incorporating the two principles.

“As a responsible nuclear power India has a policy of credible minimum deterrence based on a No First Use posture and non-use of nuclear weapons against non- nuclear weapon states,” Indian envoy to the UN, Venkatesh Varma said earlier this week on Monday.

The UN General Assembly Committee on Disarmament and International Peace met on Monday.

“We are prepared to covert these into bilateral or multilateral legally binding arrangements,” said the Indian envoy.

While New Delhi is “unwavering in its commitment to universal, non-discriminatory, verifiable nuclear disarmament,” he said, “there is no question of India joining the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state.”

Joining NPT as a non-nuclear weapons state would require India unilaterally giving up its nuclear weapons.

India first tested a nuclear weapon in 1974 and its military nuclear programme is not subject to inspections by the IAEA, the United Nations nuclear watchdog.

India considers NPT as the last vestige of apartheid in the international system, granting as it does to five-countries (US, UK, China, France and Russia) the right to be nuclear-weapons state while denying the same right to others. The NPT came into force in 1970.

“India is committed to working with the international community to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and their means of delivery,” he said.

Varma said nuclear disarmament can be achieved through a step-by-step process underwritten by a universal commitment and an agreed global and non-discriminatory multilateral framework.

“We have called for a meaningful dialogue among all states possessing nuclear weapons to build trust and confidence and for reducing the salience of nuclear weapons in international affairs and security doctrines,” he said.

India and Australia inked a civilian nuclear deal during Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s visit to India last month.

“India has an absolutely impeccable non-proliferation record – an absolutely impeccable non-proliferation record – and India has been a model international citizen,” said Abbott after signing the agreement.

India has 20 nuclear power reactors and plans to quadruple its capacity by 2020.

The US administration had imposed sanctions on Delhi after its 1998 nuclear bomb tests. The tests confirmed India as a nuclear power and led neighbouring Pakistan to follow its lead.

Later in 2005, however, the US had overturned its decision and agreed to aid India’s civil nuclear programme. Following the US deal, the IAEA in 2009 approved the Additional Protocol, intended to clear the way for the NSG to grant India a waiver to trade with other countries in the civilian nuclear field.

Meanwhile, Iran, which is a signatory to the NPT ratifying the global accord, had accused Western countries of double standards while dealing with India’s nuclear ambitions. On Friday, a UN monitoring agency said Iran is yet to fully address all nuclear concerns, in a further setback to international agreement over its nuclear program.

TBP and Agencies