India today said it supports a world free of nuclear weapons, but maintained that any international accord to achieve this goal cannot be discriminatory. “The international order cannot be discriminatory. States must fulfil the obligations they have undertaken,” External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said at the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly here.
“India attaches the highest priority to the goal of nuclear disarmament and has an impeccable non-proliferation record,” he said.
Krishna also restated India’s proposal in the Rajiv Gandhi Action Plan, which calls for elimination of all nuclear weapons within a specified time frame. “We remained committed to a voluntary, unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing,” he noted.
Krishna’s statement came in the wake of an United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution seeking all non Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) signatories to join the treaty. In his address to the world body, Krishna underlined India’s position on a variety of issues, including regional peace, reform of the United Nations and climate change.
He said India is committed to resolve all outstanding issues with Pakistan through peaceful dialogue. “India is committed to establishing good neighbourly relations and resolving all outstanding issues with Pakistan through peaceful dialogue,” Krishna said. Emphasising the need for regional peace in South Asia, Krishna said, “There is a new beginning in Sri Lanka, in Nepal strengthening the peace process in our collective interest and in Afghanistan, the international community must remain intensively engaged.”
Reminding the gathering of last year’s terrorist attacks on Mumbai, he called for agreement on the text of Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that has been proposed by India. The minister also stressed the need for expanding the Security Council.
“It must be accepted that the Security Council must be strengthened and made more representative by expanding its permanent and non-permanent membership,” he said. “Reforming the United Nations is a matter of utmost priority... Four years after the 2005 World Summit, there have not been much progress even as newer and global crises and problems have emerged,” he said.
On climate change, Krishna said, “Poverty alleviation and livelihood security are central imperatives for India. For this accelerated economic growth and energy security are critical drivers.”
“In pursuing our developmental goals India has been successful in significantly reducing its energy intensity,” Krishna said, mentioning the implementation of the National Action Plan on Climate Change and an unprecedented afforestation campaign with a budget of $1.3 billion.
The minister also underlined the need for the development of renewable energy and called for international civil-nuclear cooperation. Krishna also noted that in the past five decades, India had contributed more than 100,000 peacekeepers and suffered the highest number of casualties during such missions.
