Monday, March 28 2005 12:36 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In an obvious reference to Pakistan, India today (March 28, 2005) said its security has been undermined by proliferation of nuclear weapons "flowing into or emanating" from its "neighbourhood" and asked the international community to change its "uneven" approach to address the problem in a holistic manner.

Emphasising the need for complete elimination of nuclear weapons across the world, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh declared that India's nuclear programme was defensive in nature and the country was ready to commence negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention.

To address effectively the "emerging proliferation challenges", he said, the international community should "review and re-evaluate" existing frameworks with a view to adapting these to "current political realities".

"The non-proliferation order is coming under increasing stress both on account of the failure to make any significant progress towards nuclear disarmament as well as the failure to prevent clandestine proliferation by members of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as well as some who are outside it," Singh said inaugurating a seminar on 'Emerging nuclear proliferation challenges' in India.

He said the "infirmities" of the non-proliferation order have "imposed costs" on India and have had an "adverse impact on our security, as much of the clandestine proliferation, which is today the focus of attention, has tended to flow into or emanate from our neighbourhood."