Government seeks to allay apprehensions of NSG members

Seeking to allay apprehensions of certain Nuclear Suppliers Group countries, India on Friday said it is committed to the strengthening of the non-proliferation regime and underlined the policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons.

With the NSG meeting for a waiver to India for nuclear commerce underway in Vienna, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee issued a statement in Delhi saying that New Delhi will work with the international community to advance the "common objective" of non-proliferation.

He assured the world community that India will not be a source of proliferation of sensitive technologies, including enrichment and reprocessing transfers.

Mukherjee noted that New Delhi remained committed to a voluntary, unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing.

"We do not subscribe to any arms race, including nuclear arms race. We have always tempered the exercise of our strategic autonomy with a sense of global responsibility. We affirm our policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons," he said.

"We stand for the strengthening of the non-proliferation regime," Mukherjee said.

Mukherjee's remarks come in the backdrop of some members of the 45-nation NSG expressing concern over giving India a waiver for conducting nuclear trade.

Assuring the international community about working for a non-proliferation regime, the minister said New Delhi is "interested in participating as a supplier nation, particularly for Thorium-based fuel and in establishment of international fuel banks, which also benefit India."