By IANS,
New Delhi : India would support the global delegitimising of nuclear weapons in the manner it was done for chemical and biological weapons before they were eliminated, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Thursday.
“We would support a process that delegitimises nuclear weapons, just as chemical and biological weapons were, prior to their elimination through treaties,” Antony said in his inaugural address at the three-day Asian Security Conference here.
Noting that India had always supported the complete elimination of all nuclear weapons, he added: “Today, India and the international community face the dangerous possibility of nuclear materials and technologies falling into the hands of terrorists.”
In this context, Antony also pointed to India’s long-standing support for commencing negotiations on an international treaty, on a Nuclear Weapons Convention, for the elimination of nuclear weapons “globally and verifiably”.
“India has always supported the complete eliminate of all nuclear weapons. We are strongly and voluntarily committed to ‘No First Use’ of nuclear weapons,” the minister added.