India may review stand on chemical weapons
India will review its stand on the global agreement on the non-use
of chemical weapons if the major signatories to the treaty do
not ratify it.
Replying to a query during question hour in the Lok Sabha, External
Affair Minister I K Gujral said ''India would reserve the right
to review the situation for an appropriate response from United
States, Russia, China and Pakistan which are among those countries
who have not ratified the treaty so far.''
India signed the Chemical Weapons Convention on January 14, 1993,
ratified it on October 18, 1995, and deposited the instrument
of ratification with the United Nations secretary-general on September
3, 1996, becoming the 62nd country to do so.
The CWC will enter into force on April 29, 1997. As many as 70
countries have ratified the CWC till date.
India considers the CWC to be a model disarmament agreement as
it is a global and non-discriminatory treaty, Gujral said.
He, however, said the government was committed to taking all necessary
steps to safeguard its security and national interest in accordance
with its own threat perceptions.
Gujral said India has a bilateral agreement with Pakistan for
not using the weapon of ''mass destruction'' against each other.
Referring to a question as to whether Pakistan is in the process
of preparing chemical weapons, the external affairs minister said
India had no such information so far.
UNI
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