Shiv S. Mukherjee 
Minister (Press, Information & Culture) 
Embassy of India 
Washington, DC 
(202) 939-7042 

June 6, 1998 

Government of India's response to the P-5's Joint Communique
 
We have seen the Joint Communique issued by the Foreign Ministers of China, France, Russia, the
UK and the USA in Geneva on June 4, 1998.

 India has a consistent record as a responsible member of the international community, and a pioneer
 and leading participant in the movement towards global nuclear disarmament. Regrettably, the world
 is still far from establishing a comprehensive and equitable regime of nuclear disarmament, primarily
 because the nuclear weapon states have not taken credible and effective steps towards this goal.
 What has been put in place is a deeply flawed and discriminatory non-proliferation system which
 has legitimised the possession of nuclear weapons by a few countries and their presence in our
 neighbourhood. It is this adverse security environment that has compelled us to take the decision to
 carry out nuclear weapon tests.

 The P-5 are not unaware that one of the most serious threats to our security has arisen because of
 the non-observance of the obligations they have undertaken under the NPT. The clandestine
 transfer over the years of nuclear weapons technology and fissile material to our neighbourhood is
 well known. Nevertheless the P-5 have declined to take any action to address a serious violation of
 a Treaty provision to which all of them were party.

 India has not violated any treaty provisions which it has undertaken. Our tests are not directed
 against any country. We have not raised tensions nor do we intend to do so. India remains
 committed to a comprehensive, universal and non-discriminatory global nuclear disarmament
 regime.

 In keeping with this responsible approach as a nuclear weapon state we have reiterated our
 commitment to continue observing the strictest control on export of nuclear material or related
 technologies. We would also draw attention to the significant proposals we have made recently for
 confidence building measures in the field of nuclear disarmament and for peace and stability in the
 region and beyond, i.e.: (i) India will observe a voluntary moratorium and refrain from conducting
 further tests. India is also willing to move to a de jure formulation of this declaration. (ii) India is
 willing to participate in negotiations on the FMCT in the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. (iii)
 India has announced that it is ready to discuss a non-first-use agreement bilaterally with Pakistan, as
 also with other countries, bilaterally or in a collective forum. These proposals provide a reasonable
 framework for addressing our common concerns.

 We have also consistently worked to build confidence and promote peace and stability in our
 region. The initiatives we have taken along with other countries in this area have helped create a
 climate of cooperation and integration, at both bilateral and multi-lateral levels. With Pakistan we
 have sought to develop a peaceful and cooperative relationship. Direct bilateral dialogue is the only
 means of achieving this objective. This will facilitate working out the possibilities of mutually
 beneficial cooperation as well as addressing of outstanding issues on the basis of mutual respect for
 each other concerns. We intend to continue in a constructive and sustained manner the broad based
 dialogue process which was renewed at our initiative in early 1997. Subjects for the dialogue have
 been mutually agreed on and include questions of peace and security, Jammu & Kashmir as well as
 trade and economic cooperation, people to people and cultural contacts, drug trafficking and
 cross-border terrorism. This process has been under way for over a year now. Our specific and
 well considered proposals for the modalities for further talks have been with Pakistan since January
 1998 and a response from them is awaited. We reiterate once again that there is no room for any
 outside involvement of any nature whatsoever in this process.