No need to join arm race, but to meet energy requirements: PM

While inaugurating the international conference on “Towards a World Free of Nuclear weapons”, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, said that India has no intention to join arm race but the nation do need nuclear technology to meet its energy needs for overall empowerment of people and a peaceful environment to grow.

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Addressing the opening ceremony of the international conference, the Prime Minister said that the world is facing a grim threat of global security but India is fully aware of its responsibility as a nuclear weapon state and India is fully committed to nuclear disarmament that is global, universal and non-discriminatory in nature.

“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.

Honourable PM Manmohan Singh also introduced an action plan asking international community to come to an agreement on general and complete disarmament in a firm commitment to eliminate all nuclear weapons in three stages by 2010.

Expressing concern over the lack of consensus in goal of global disarmament and new challenges to global security with the risk that nuclear weapons may be acquired by terrorists and hence there is an urgent need of global nuclear disarmament and he expressed his hope that countries will come forward to a constructive dialogue on this proposal.

Recently India has submitted a set of proposal on Nuclear Disarmament to the UN General Assembly and Prime Minister hopes to initiate the debate with the member countries for making a nuclear weapon free world.

The suggested measures include adoption of measures by nuclear weapon States to reduce nuclear danger, including the risks of accidental use of nuclear weapons; negotiation of a global agreement among nuclear weapon States on ‘no-first-use’ of nuclear weapons; negotiation of a Nuclear Weapons Convention prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons and on their destruction, leading to the global, non-discriminatory and verifiable elimination of nuclear weapons with a specified timeframe.

Manmohan Singh on behalf of a developing country with rapid economic growth talked about the need to nuclear energy as an alternative source to meet developmental goals. He said that nuclear technology should be used to ensure energy security by creating an international environment, as the needs will constantly rise in the near future simultaneously with the threat of climate change and global warming. The prime Minister however didn’t mention about the Indo-US nuclear deal in particular.

Organised by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and India Council of World Affairs, the two-day conference kicked off here on Monday with the participation of more than 80 delegates from 27 countries and international organisations.