PM to pitch for strong commitments against nuke proliferation

Ajay Kaul
Washington, Apr 13 (PTI) In the backdrop of fears about
terrorists gaining access to nuclear material, leaders from 47
countries, including India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,
Tuesday assembled here to discuss ways to ensure that such a
scenario was averted.
At the two-day Summit, which is an initiative of US
President Barack Obama, India is expected to voice concern
over the safety of atomic arsenal of Pakistan.
Ahead of the Summit, Obama has said that terrorist
organisations like al-Qaeda are aiming at laying their hands
on nuclear weapons, which would be catastrophic for the world.
"The central focus of this nuclear summit is the fact
that the single biggest threat to US security, both short
term, medium term and long term, would be the possibility of a
terrorist organisation obtaining a nuclear weapon," Obama told
reporters on Monday.
Singh is expected to pitch for strong commitments by
individual countries and firm responses by global community
against proliferation.
While the Prime Minister may not directly refer to
Pakistan in this context, India's National Security Adviser
Shivshankar Menon and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao are
expected to raise concerns regarding the safety of Pakistan's
nuclear arsenals at the official-level meetings.
Singh is expected to share India's apprehensions about
terrorists acquiring weapons of mass destruction.
The summit will focus on dangers posed by clandestine
proliferation and illicit trafficking of nuclear material and
the possibility of terrorists acquiring atomic material.
Ahead of his visit, the prime minister said nuclear
terrorism and proliferation of sensitive technologies are
"legitimate concerns" which require "firm responses".
He underlined that India has been a consistent advocate
of complete and universal global nuclear disarmament.
"We were among the first countries in the world to call
for a world free of nuclear weapons. I am encouraged by the
fact that this approach is finding greater resonance today,"
he had said, adding India will continue to call for more
meaningful progress in this direction.
He also emphasised the need for "highest standards of
security" in the nuclear field to reinforce public faith in
the benefit of atomic science. (More) PTI