No wish to engage in arms race: PM

Ahead of the crucial Indo-US talks on the civil nuclear deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said India does not wish to engage in an arms race with anybody, and would continue to maintain the highest standards of non-proliferation controls.

"India is a responsible member of the international community and we have a stake in the evolution of a stable and rule-based international system," he said after giving away the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) awards to defence scientists and institutions.

He said the government "seeks a neighbourhood of peace and prosperity as a vital pillar of our national security. We do not wish to engage in an arms race with any one. As a possessor of advanced technologies, we will continue to maintain the highest standards of non-proliferation controls."

Asserting that India stood for peace and for peaceful resolution of all problems between nations, the Prime Minister, however, said "the reality is that we live in a world of unequal power relations. We live in an uncertain international security environment."

Therefore the country was "obliged to create adequate defence preparedness to manage any potential challenge to our security and vital national interests."