PM rules out all reactors under full-scope safeguards

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has ruled out placing all of India's nuclear reactors under the full-scope safeguards. He has also reaffirmed India's commitment to moratorium on nuclear tests.

"No. We would like the world to move toward universal nuclear disarmament," he said, when asked if India would ever put all its reactors under the full-scope safeguards.

Some critics of the Indo-US nuclear deal have said that the US should have insisted on India placing all its reactors under the safeguards.

The prime minister, in an interview to The Washington Post, said given the circumstances, India needed a strategic nuclear weapons programme. "In our neighbourhood, China is a nuclear power and on our western frontier, there is Pakistan, which developed its weapons through clandestine proliferation," he said.

Singh said he could not imagine circumstances that would require India to resume nuclear testing, which many in India have said was its sovereign right.

"Our scientists tell me they need no further tests. As for the distant future, I cannot predict forever, but our commitment is to continue our unilateral moratorium," he said.

Describing the US as the "pre-eminent" superpower in the world, Singh said, "Lack of nuclear cooperation is the last remaining cobweb from our old relationship, and we can now sweep it aside... There are no other barriers to a more productive, more durable relationship with the United States.

The potential is enormous for our two nations." He said it was in India's interest to have good relations with the United States "as a very important partner in realising our development ambitions."

The prime minister said one way to help India develop was US Congress' approval to the legislative changes that would clear the way for transfer of civilian nuclear technology to India.

The historic nuclear deal, yet to be approved by the Congress, was finalised during President George W Bush's visit to New Delhi last month.

Singh said India's relationship with the US was not aimed at China. "We are not developing our relationship with the US at the cost of our relationship with China, which is our neighbour and with which our trade is growing at a handsome rate... President Bush told me this is a sensible way to proceed, and that America will remain engaged with China, too," he said.

On Iran, Singh urged the US to allow time maximum time for negotiations. "The Iranian regime may need some time to settle down," he said, adding, "We are very clear that we do not want another nuclear weapons power in the region."