'India must help rein in nuclear rogues'

Japanese Ambassador to India Yasukuni Enoki on Wednesday said that in case the Nuclear Suppliers' Group accepts India's status as a nuclear power, India will be expected to cooperate to ensure "bad boys" like North Korea and Iran are kept out.

"Accepting India must mean NPT Plus One, no more," said Enoki. He was speaking at a panel discussion ‘Towards India-Japan Strategic and Global Partnership’ — the title of the Indo-Japan Joint Statement signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Japan last month — organised by the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.

Enoki said India's stance on the nuclear programmes of countries like North Korea and Iran will have an impact on Japan's ability to pass domestic legislation to enhance cooperation with India. He said India must vote against Iran, or at least abstain from voting at the IAEA, to shore up its chances of finding acceptance for its own nuclear programme.

First Published: Jan 11, 2007 03:08 IST