India’s permanent representative to the United Nations has said there is no question of India joining the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) as a non-nuclear weapon state as that would require New Delhi unilaterally giving up its nuclear weapons.
Ambassador DB Venkatesh Varma said New Delhi is “unwavering in its commitment to universal, non-discriminatory, verifiable nuclear disarmament”.
Speaking at a meeting of the UN General Assembly Committee on Disarmament and International Peace, he reiterated India’s traditional policy of not using nuclear weapons first and not targeting non-nuclear weapons nations, he offered to enter into agreements incorporating the two principles while ruling out joining the non-proliferation treaty.
“As a responsible nuclear power India has a policy of credible minimum deterrence based on a No First Use posture and non-use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states,” Ambassador DB Venkatesh Varma said.
On another matter impacting the restriction of nuclear weapons, Varma offered New Delhi’s qualified support to the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT) negotiations.
“Without prejudice to the priority we attach to nuclear disarmament, we support the negotiation in the Conference on Disarmament of an FMCT that meets India’s national security interests,” he said.
Such a treaty would stop the making of materials that could be used in nuclear weapons.
He criticized countries with nuclear weapons coverage that have repeatedly voted against the proposed measure since it was first introduced in 1982.
