India 8212; Talks with US only on minimum N-deterrent

NEW DELHI, JAN 21: India on Friday said its dialogue with the US government and other countries on the nuclear issue was 8220;predicated8221; on New Delhi having a credible minimum nuclear deterrent. 8220;Our dialogue with the US government on the nuclear issue as well as with other countries is predicated on India having a credible minimum deterrent,8221; a foreign office spokesman told newsmen in response to questions on remarks made by US President Bill Clinton8217;s top adviser on proliferation, John Holum on the Worldnet programme of the state department.

Holum said it was not possible for the United States to accord recognition to India as a nuclear power under the Non-Proliferation Treaty NPT.

quot;It is not possible under the treaty we don8217;t support it8230; I don8217;t think members of NPT would accept the idea that they should be formalised, recognised and accepted in the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treatyquot;, Holum said.

quot;The treaty began from the proposition that there were five nuclear weapon states who undertook to negotiate ultimately towards nuclear disarmament,8221; he said.