Mukherjee dismisses NPT as 'flawed'

While seeking Japanese support for the historic Indo-US civilian nuclear energy deal, India today dismissed the NPT as a "flawed" treaty. "I am very conscious of the sentiments of the Japanese people on nuclear matters," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said while speaking at the Japan Institute of International Affairs in Tokyo.

"However, I also trust in your wisdom to discern what lies at the heart of our efforts to secure stable energy supplies," he said while speaking on the 'Significance of India-Japan Relations.'

"I am confident we will find common ground that balances our mutual interests and advances our cooperation and collaboration in this area too," Mukherjee told Japanese scholars, a day after discussing these issues with his Japanese counterpart, Taro Aso and other ministers.

Mukherjee touched upon the topic of India's civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States, an issue which is being hotly debated within the academic circles in Japan.

"India has an impeccable record on non-proliferation. We have also consistently been a leading advocate of the elimination of all nuclear weapons. I believe that Japanese are aware of India's adherence to the values of peace and non-violence," he said.

"If India did not sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), it is not because of its lack of commitment for non-proliferation, but because we consider NPT as a flawed treaty and it did not recognise the need for universal, non-discriminatory verification and treatment," Mukherjee said.