India for gradual but total nuke disarmament: Shringla

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 3

India has advocated complete nuclear disarmament through a step-by-step process.

Stating thisat the virtual high-level plenary meeting to commemorate and promote International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India remained committed to the immediate commencement of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty.

‘Committed to talks on Fissile Treaty’

• Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India remained committed to the immediate commencement of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty.
• The framework for the complete disarmament should be agreed uponthrough a multilateral framework after all countries have committed themselves to this objective, said Shringla.

The framework for the complete disarmament should be agreed upon through a multilateral framework after all countries have committed themselves to this objective, said Shringla.

He said the country had also reiterated its long-standing and unwavering commitment to universal, verifiable and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament. Without prejudice to the priority attached to nuclear disarmament, Shringla said India not only remained committed to the immediate commencement of the FMCT negotiations, but also espoused the policy of “no first use” against nuclear weapon states and non-use against non-nuclear weapon states.

‘World in shadow of catastrophe’

United Nations: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world was living “in the shadow of nuclear catastrophe” fuelled by growing distrust and tensions between nuclear powers. He said strains between countries that possessed nuclear weapons “have increased nuclear risks”. Without naming any country, Guterres said programmes to modernise nuclear arsenals “threaten a qualitative nuclear arms race”. AP

Shringla said India was a key partner in global efforts towards disarmament and strengthening the non-proliferation order and its proposals were in line with the Final Document of the First Special Session of the UN General Assembly on disarmament. India had documented its approach to nuclear disarmament in a working paper submitted to the UNGA First Committee in 2006 and to the Conference on Disarmament in 2007. It remains convinced that there is a need for meaningful talks among all states possessing nuclear weapons for building trust and confidence.

“Its annual resolution in the UNGA on the ‘Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons’ tabled since 1982 enjoys wide support and reaffirms that any use of nuclear weapons will be a violation of the UN Charter and a crime against humanity,” the Foreign Secretary pointed out.

India has since 1998 tabled another annual resolution that calls for immediate and urgent steps to reduce the risks of unintentional and accidental use of nuclear weapons, including through de-alerting and de-targeting.

“It also accords high priority to the Conference on Disarmament as the world’s single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum,” he added.