India a responsible nuclear weapon state, committed to no-first use doctrine: Shringla

New Delhi [India], February 22 (ANI): India on Monday reiterated that is a responsible nuclear weapon state and is committed as per its nuclear doctrine of no-first use and non-use against non-nuclear-weapon states.
Speaking at the High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament on Monday, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that those resorting to politicisation only weaken the mandate of this body. He added that New Delhi stands ready to play its role and work with fellow member states to achieve "our collective objectives".
"India, as a responsible nuclear weapon state, is committed as per its nuclear doctrine, to maintain credible minimum deterrence with the posture of no-first-use and non-use against non-nuclear-weapon states," he said.
"This Conference has been plagued for too long by fear, suspicion and mistrust. As Mahatma Gandhi said, the only cure for fear is faith; for suspicion, sincerity; and for mistrust, trust. This is just what the Conference needs today, to break its long deadlock and make concrete progress. India stands ready to play its role and work with fellow member states to achieve our collective objectives," he said.
India has supported the immediate commencement of negotiations in the Conference of Disarmament (CD) on Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT), said Shringla, adding that countries need to rise above differences and demonstrate the political will to find consensus to deliver on the collective mandate on the issue of disarmament.
An FMCT is a proposed international agreement that would prohibit the production of the two main components of nuclear weapons: highly-enriched uranium (HEU) and plutonium.
The Conference on Disarmament is a multilateral disarmament forum established by the international community to negotiate arms control and disarmament agreements based at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Shringla said that India advocates a comprehensive and balanced programme of work to enable the conference to commence negotiations on issues of pressing global importance.
"As the world's single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, as mandated by the Special Session on Disarmament (SSOD) -1, the CD's agenda deals with critical challenges of disarmament and international security facing the international community. India advocates a comprehensive and balanced Programme of work to enable the conference to commence negotiations on issues of pressing global importance," he said.
"We begin this year with hope and expectation. India has welcomed the extension of the New START Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States. However, much work needs to be done by us in the Conference on Disarmament. We need to rise above our differences and demonstrate political will and genuine intent to find consensus to deliver on our collective mandate. Those resorting to politicisation only weaken the mandate of this body," he added.
India, Shringla said, is committed to the goal of universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament.
"Our call for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons through a step-by-step process, as also outlined in our Working Paper on Nuclear Disarmament submitted to the CD in 2007 (CD/1816) has enduring relevance. India reiterates its call to undertake the steps outlined in the Working Paper, including negotiation in the CD of a Comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention," he said. (ANI)