India Welcomes Joint Statement By P5 On Preventing Nuclear War, Avoiding Arms Race
New Delhi, Jan 7: India on Friday welcomed the joint statement by the nuclear-armed Permanent Five nations on ‘Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races’, and said India remains committed to the goal of universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament.
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, in a statement said India welcomes the Joint Statement this week, “which reaffirms the importance of addressing nuclear threats, and underscores the desire to work towards creating a security environment more conducive to progress on disarmament with the ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all.”
It said that India as a responsible nuclear weapon state, has a doctrine of maintaining a credible minimum deterrence based on a No First Use posture and non-use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states.
“India remains committed to the goal of universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament.”
“India’s annual resolution at the UNGA on ‘Reducing Nuclear Danger’ calls for steps to reduce the risk of unintentional or accidental use of nuclear weapons, including through de-alerting and de-targeting of nuclear weapons.
“Our annual resolution on a ‘Convention on the Prohibition of the use of Nuclear Weapons’ seeks the commencement of negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament on an international convention prohibiting the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances. Both resolutions are adopted with substantive support at the UNGA.”
“India will continue to contribute further to the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation agenda,” the statement said.
On January 3, the leaders of China, France, Russia, the UK and the US issued a joint statement on preventing a nuclear war and avoiding an arms race while not aiming nuclear devices at each other or at any other state.
They declared that they consider the avoidance of war between Nuclear-Weapon States and the reduction of strategic risks as their foremost responsibilities, stating “we affirm that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.”
“As nuclear use would have far-reaching consequences, we also affirm that nuclear weapons – for as long as they continue to exist – should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war,” the statement said.
