India on Saturday 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 remain committed to a voluntary, unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing,” he noted.
Mr. Krishna’s statement came in the wake of a United Nations Security Council resolution seeking all non NPT signatories to join the treaty.
In his address to the world body, Mr. Krishna underlined India’s position on a variety of issues, including regional peace, reform of the United Nations and climate change.
“India is committed to establishing good neighbourly relations and resolving all outstanding issues with Pakistan through peaceful dialogue,” Mr. Krishna said.
In pursuing our developmental goals India has been successful in significantly reducing its energy intensity,” Mr. 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 an international civil-nuclear cooperation.
Mr. Krishna also noted that in the past five decades India had contributed more than 1,00,000 peacekeepers and suffered the highest number of casualties during such missions
