India is committed to the goal of universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said

New Delhi: India on Monday reiterated that it would stick to the No First Use (NFU) doctrine against non-nuclear weapon countries. Addressing the high-level segment of the Conference on Disarmament (CD), Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that India is a responsible nuclear weapon State and it is committed as per its nuclear doctrine to maintain credible minimum deterrence with the posture of no-first-use and non-use against non-nuclear weapon States.

While calling for global solidarity and strengthened multilateralism, Shringla said that India has welcomed the extension of the New START Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America, however, much work needs to be done in the Conference on Disarmament.

The Indian foreign secretary called for the international community to rise above differences, and demonstrate political will and genuine intent to find consensus to deliver on the collective mandate.

“India is committed to the goal of universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament. Our call for complete elimination of nuclear weapons through a step-by-step process, as also outlined in our Working Paper on Nuclear Disarmament submitted to the CD in 2007 (CD/1816) has an enduring relevance. India reiterates its call to undertake the steps outlined in the Working Paper, including negotiation in the CD of a Comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention,” Shringla asserted.

India has supported the immediate commencement of negotiations in the CD on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) on the basis of CD/1299 and the mandate contained therein, which remains the most suitable basis for negotiations. I reaffirm today, India’s readiness to participate in FMCT negotiations in the CD, the foreign secretary added.