Washington: The US has said that India's own moratorium on nuclear testing was one of the reasons why the civilian nuclear agreement was signed between the two countries.
"The Indian decision to have a moratorium on nuclear testing is one of the basis on which we think we should--can--undertake this civilian nuclear cooperation," said Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, on Thursday.
"I think we all understand that India has a moratorium on nuclear testing and has made a public commitment based on its own decision to continue that moratorium on nuclear testing. I think that it very important to us and others who look forward to cooperating with India in the area of civil nuclear power," he said.
The US "looked forward for that (moratorium) to continue" and that is why "it is not surprising to find that encoded in various forms in documents we write and statements we make."
"It was India's decision to do that just as the major nuclear powers themselves decided not to test."
On the issue of credible minimum nuclear deterrent that is being debated in India, he brushed it off as "people asking distorted questions" after a "misreading" of his remarks "creating a mini-storm in a mini-teacup".
Comments
0 comment