By KUNA,
Berlin : Germany welcomed the decision of the IAEA Board of Governors and the Indian government to further efforts to bring India into the system of nuclear non-proliferation.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in a statement late Friday after the signing of the pact, said, “The Federal Government welcomes the decision of the IAEA Board of Governors and the Indian government to further efforts to bring India into the system of nuclear non-proliferation.” He said that with the approval of the safeguards agreement, “India has taken an important step towards the global non-proliferation regime. Thus, in the future, more civilian nuclear facilities will be under the control and safeguards system of IAEA.” The minister added that according to the assessment of IAEA Director General Mohamed El-Baradei, the safeguards agreement “meets the standards of the IAEA and thus contributes to enhancing the international non-proliferation system.” He said that for the Federal Government, “this assessment carries particular weight, as the IAEA is the ‘guardian of the non-proliferation regime’.” Steinmeier added that Germany shared the IAEA’s expectation that facilities placed under its jurisdiction “will remain under permanent IAEA control.” He added, “At the same time, we hope to see further progress in the area of nuclear non-proliferation. India, for example, is one of a group of countries whose ratification is essential for the nuclear test ban treaty to take effect. A moratorium on the production of fissile material for military purposes would also be desirable.”