25 September,2009 12:24 PM IST | | PTI
Sticking to its position, India on Friday ruled out signing the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in its present forms but made it clear that it was committed to ridding the world of nuclear weapons.
The Indian stand was reaffirmed in the wake of the UN Security Council resolution, spearheaded by President Barack Obama that asked all non-NPT signatories to join the treaty as non-nuclear weapon states.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Special Envoy on climate change Shyam Saran told reporters in Pittsburgh that India does not intend to be a party to the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state.
"We are committed to nuclear disarmament and at the same time we are also committed to unilateral moratorium on nuclear tests," he said on being asked whether India would sign the treaty in the wake of the UNSC asking non-NPT states to sign it.
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In New York, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said India has taken a principled stand on CTBT and there is no scope for change in its position unless a number of other developments take place to address its concerns.
The high-level conference on disarmament, addressed by UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon, asked India and eight other countries to ratify the agreement so that it comes into force.
