India has a very important role to play in securing nuclear weapons and nuclear materials, said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. “India has a long record of being a leader, of being responsible,” Mr Kerry said, after a meeting with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, at the State Department ahead of the Nuclear Security Summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending the summit on Thursday and Friday.
“..India has a very important role to play with respect to responsible stewardship of nuclear weapons and nuclear materials. India has a long record of being a leader, of being responsible, and it is particularly important right now at a time when we see in the region some choices being made that may accelerate possible arms construction, which we have serious questions about…” Mr Kerry said.
“We’ve raised them with various partners in the region. So our hope is that this Nuclear Security Summit will contribute to everybody’s understanding about our global responsibilities and choices,” he said, in an oblique reference to Pakistan’s deployment of battlefield nuclear weapons.
The U.S. has repeatedly said battlefield deployments make nuclear weapons vulnerable to theft and sabotage and has called upon Pakistan to desist from the move. Pakistan has turned down the U.S. request.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was scheduled to participate in the summit, cancelled his visit after the Easter Sunday terror strike in Lahore.
Mr Doval said Mr. Modi was “deeply interested in seeing and ensuring that the safety and security of the radioactive material must be ensured.”
