India Underlines Need To Ban Future Production Of Fissile Material For Nukes

New Delhi, June 19, IRNA -- India on Tuesday stressed the need to have a non-discriminatory and internationally verifiable treaty banning the future production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices. It also said the international legal framework on space security needs to be strengthened to enhance the security of space assets for all space users and to ensure the long term sustainability of Outer Space. ˈIndia is convinced that the goal of nuclear disarmament can be achieved through a step-by-step process underwritten by a universal commitment and an agreed multilateral framework that is global and non-discriminatoryˈ, Foreign SecretaryRanjan Mathai said in Paris, PTI reported. Addressing the Conference on Disarmament, he said there is need 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. Progressive steps are needed for the de-legitimization of nuclear weapons paving the way for their complete elimination, he said. Mathai noted that for over three decades, the United Nations General Assembly has voted in favor of a resolution, sponsored by India, calling on this Conference to negotiate a Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Nuclear Weapons. He underlined that as a nuclear weapon state, India has a doctrine of Credible Minimum Nuclear Deterrence underlined by a No-first Use posture. ˈWe have also supported a Global No-First Use Treatyˈ. ˈWithout prejudice to the priority India attaches to nuclear disarmament, we support the negotiation in the Conference on Disarmament of a non-discriminatory and internationally verifiable treaty banning the future production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices that meets Indiaˈs national security interests,ˈ Mathai said./end