US takes 'responsible' India's missile test in stride
Apr 13, 2007 - 10:29:20 AM
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McCormack said US urged all the governments in the region - India, Pakistan included - to work within the constraints of the agreements that they have regarding notification and also not take any actions that would be destabilising to the balance in the region.
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By Arun Kumar, IANS,
[RxPG] Washington, April 13 - The United States has not taken amiss India's test firing of nuclear capable Agni III missile saying New Delhi has demonstrated a degree of responsibility in preventing proliferation of nuclear technology.
'Look, India's trying to enter into a different kind of relationship with the rest of the world vis-a-vis its nuclear programme,' State Department spokesman McCormack said Thursday noting that US itself is 'in negotiations with the Indian government about that.'
'They have in certain international fora demonstrated a certain level of responsibility with respect to preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and technology, including nuclear technology,' he said in response to a question about the timing of the test.
'So India certainly is trying to, I would say, enter into a different kind of relationship with the rest of the world than it has previously had on the nuclear issue,' he added.
Asked if it was right for India to fire a nuclear capable missile when US is pressing Iran and North Korea to dismantle their nuclear programme, McCormack said, 'Well, it's not the first time they've done this to my knowledge, test-fired missiles' though he couldn't tell 'what the technical capabilities of this missile are versus previous missile launches.'
'Indians do have an active missile programme, and typically what they do under their agreements with the Pakistani government is there's a prior notification,' he noted, but he could not 'verify at this point that that did take place in these circumstances.'
McCormack said US urged all the governments in the region - India, Pakistan included - to work within the constraints of the agreements that they have regarding notification and also not take any actions that would be destabilising to the balance in the region.
Asked if US considered the latest Agni test to be an action that's destabilising, the spokesman said he would 'have to check to see if this is something that is technically different or goes beyond the previous technical demonstrated capabilities of the Indian government, the Indian military in launching the missile.'
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