GENEYVA(AP): India told negotiators for a global ban on atomic testing June 20th, that it won’t accept the accord unless the five declared nuclear powers commit to destroying their arsenals, India’s refusal could block adoption of the treaty by the June 28 deadline set by the negotiating forum, the 61nation Conference on Disarmament, leaving the proposed accord In limbo.
Ambassador Arundhati Ghose, head of the Indian delegation, told the conference that the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China must commit to the destruction of their nuclear weapons before India would sign the treaty. Iran, which often plays a key role in arms negotiations, said it was backing India.
Ghose called the proposed treaty “weak and woefully inadequate” and said it would only ban test explosions of nuclear weapons while allowing advanced countries to continue refining nuclear weapons with computers and other technology, Ghose also said India refused to accept a provision that would require it, Pakistan and Israel three states believed to have nuclear capability to join the five established nuclear powers in ratifying the treaty before it goes into effect.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 26, 1996
