Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to visit the U.S. in April to attend a global Summit on nuclear security, a topic that is of immense interest to India considering apprehensions over safety of atomic arsenal in Pakistan and proliferation originating from there.
Along with the U.S .visit, Dr. Singh is also likely to travel to Brazil for the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Summit.
The Nuclear Security Summit, called by President Barack Obama, is slated to be held on April 12-13 and Dr. Singh is expected to attend it, sources said here on Tuesday.
During Dr. Singh’s visit to Washington in November last, the issue related to the upcoming Summit had come up during the discussions.
Dr. Singh later had said that India would “work with the United States and other countries for the success of the nuclear security summit.”
A joint statement issued after the talks had said that Singh and Obama looked forward to the April 2010 Nuclear Security Summit and working together with all participating states for the success of the meet.
Nuclear security is of immense interest to India considering apprehensions about safety of Pakistan’s arsenal falling into the hands of terrorists. Also there have been considerable concerns over the proliferation of nuclear technology and material originating from Pakistan.
Underlining India’s commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons, the Prime Minister had, during his Washington visit, welcomed the renewed international interest in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
The April Summit assumes greater significance as it precedes the NPT Review Conference to be held in May.
India is being pressed by the world to sign the NPT and the issue is expected to figure at the meet.
New Delhi has refused to sign the NPT, terming it as flawed and discriminatory.
Dr. Singh is expected to tag the U.S. visit along with a trip to Brazil for the fourth IBSA Summit. The meet was originally to take place in October but had to be deferred because of Dr. Singh’s hectic travel schedule then.
