British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday strongly turned down any comparison between North Korea's nuclear test and the one conducted by India in 1998 and 'completely agreed' with Indian concerns on clandestine proliferation of nuclear technology that had emanated in India's neighbourhood.
Blair said India had been "very strong on counter proliferation, North Korea was going in the opposite direction."
Delhi had been concerned that North Korea's nuclear tests could have an intended political fallout on India's civil nuclear cooperation, strengthening the case of conservatives who had been advocating against making out a special case for India.
Indian officials had on Monday called any attempt to 'lump' Delhi with Pyongyang 'ridiculous', saying India had never violated any international obligation. Blair spoke a similar language at a Press conference that followed his meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday.
Blair added a few more points in India's favour; at times clubbing Britain and India in the same group. The British PM, who is the first world leader to make the distinction, emphasized that there were basic differences between countries like North Korea and those like Britain and India. The latter two were 'functioning democracies', adhered to the rule of law and international obligations. "North Korea is doing none of these things. This is, of course, a matter of judgement in the country"; here is a country which is conducting nuclear tests in complete breach of all obligations it has entered into.
Singh said India had supported the six-party talks, which were intended to achieve the goal of denuclearisation of the Korea peninsula. The Indian prime minister emphasized that further erosion of the non-proliferation regime is not in our interest. "We do not support emergence of another nuclear state."
Singh said India had supported the six-party talks, which were intended to achieve the goal of denuclearisation of the Korea peninsula. The Indian prime minister emphasized that further erosion of the non-proliferation regime is not in our interest. "We do not support emergence of another nuclear state."
The PM went on to link North Korea's nuclear test to the danger of clandestine proliferation. "In fact, India's own security has suffered and because of clandestine proliferation linkages emanating from our neighbourhood".
Blair replied in the affirmative when he was asked if he shared this concern. "I think the prime minister is absolutely right," he said, pointing towards attempts by the international community over the last few years to "tighten up on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, technology transfer of such weapons and so on."
The British PM counted the steps taken to "shut down" networks like that of (Pakistani nuclear scientist) AQ Khan as one of the "significant success" achieved in this direction. "But the PM is absolutely right stressing the fact that this is a battle that continues all the time," Blair said, pointing that this was the reason why it was important to get back into the six-party talks.
The British PM emphasised that the only way to deal with North Korea's move was to revitalise the six-party talks and to make sure that North Korea comes back in line with its nuclear obligations. In this context, he also welcomed the "strong statement" from China that had earlier supported that the test defied the universal opposition of international society.