India Committed To World Free Of Nuclear Weapons: Khurshid


NEW DELHI: Nuclear terrorism and clandestine proliferation continue to pose a serious threat to international security and there is a need to strengthen international nuclear security architecture, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has said. In his plenary statement at the Nuclear Security Summit at The Hague, he said India fully shares the continuing global concern on possible breaches of nuclear security.

"Nuclear terrorism and clandestine proliferation continue to pose a serious threat to international security," Khurshid said, according to a statement made available. He said that despite the progress made since U.S. President Barack Obama convened the first nuclear security summit, terrorism and other malicious acts involving nuclear material and facilities remain a clear danger.

"Any breach in nuclear security could undermine public confidence. We should together deny terrorists what they seek and eliminate the risks of sensitive materials and technologies falling into their hands. "The focus on non-state actors should in no way diminish state accountability in combating terrorism, dismantling its support structures or its linkages with weapons of mass destruction," Khurshid said.

The minister, who led the Indian delegation at the summit, said there was a need to strengthen the international nuclear security architecture by ratifying and implementing the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its 2005 amendment and the International Convention on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. "Our common message as governments, industry and academia must be that nuclear energy can and must be harnessed while maintaining the highest levels of nuclear safety and security," he said.

Also Read:
10 Countries with the Highest Number of Enslaved People
3.4 Billion Masses Likely To Reside In 'Water-Scarce' Countries By 2025

Source: IANS