June 10, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 05, 1429

NEW DELHI, June 9: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday that a regional nuclear disarmament was never going to be workable until the major nuclear powers were also engaged in it simultaneously.

Dr Singh’s remarks at an international conference here on a nuclear free world appeared to rule out any disarmament talks with Pakistan, although the two countries are engaged in a risk reduction dialogue.

“India is fully aware of its responsibilities as a nuclear weapon state. We have a declared doctrine of no first-use that is based on credible minimum deterrence.

“We have in place strict controls on export of nuclear and fissile related materials and technology,” Dr Singh said.

“India has no intention to engage in an arms race with anyone. Above all, India is fully committed to nuclear disarmament that is global, universal and non-discriminatory in nature. The pursuit of this goal will enhance not only our security but the security of all other countries.”

He said these objectives could not be achieved through partial methods and approaches. “The only effective form of nuclear disarmament and elimination of nuclear weapons is global disarmament. Nuclear weapons know no boundaries.

“Even today the nuclear arsenals in possession of the major powers are enough to destroy the world many times over. In this scenario it is not possible to “regionalise” nuclear disarmament.”

It was a “painful reality” that the goal of global disarmament, based on the principles of universality, non-discrimination and effective compliance, still remains a distant one, the prime minister said.

He warned that even more disturbing was the emergence of new threats and challenges to global security.

“I refer to the growing risk that nuclear weapons may be acquired by terrorists or those driven by extreme ideologies; the increasing danger of non-state actors, accessing nuclear materials and devices; the development of new weapon systems based on emerging technologies which pose challenges to space security and provide new roles for nuclear weapons; and the weakening of multilateralism even as bilateral arms control processes falter in shifting strategic landscapes.”