New Zealand keen to know India's stand on NMD

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, JUNE 25. The External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, called on the New Zealand Prime Minister, Ms. Helen Clark, and held discussions with the country's Foreign Minister, Mr. Phil Goff, in Wellington today. Mr. Singh, who also holds the Defence portfolio, had talks with his New Zealand counterpart, Mr. Mark Burton.

During his meeting with Ms. Clark, the latter enquired about India's position on the United States' National Missile Defence (NMD). New Zealand, unlike Australia, is strongly opposed to NMD, and Ms. Clark wanted details on India's position.

New Zealand, which has repeatedly impressed upon India the need to sign the CTBT and NPT, was keen on knowing New Delhi's approach to the issue of disarmament. On the CTBT, Mr. Singh is said to have reiterated India's traditional position - that an effort was on to build a consensus in Parliament on the Treaty. Ms. Clark reportedly wanted to know the objectives behind India's May 1998 nuclear tests. Mr. Singh explained that the nuclear tests were not country-specific, but were driven by India's own security considerations. Fiji, too, occupied centre-stage in the discussions, with New Zealand explaining that it hoped the elections would go off well.

Like in Australia, Mr. Singh impressed upon his interlocutors in Wellington that Fiji should not be allowed to re-enter the Commonwealth immediately after the elections scheduled for end- August.

Mr. Singh said the key issues of ``racialism'' and land rights for the Fijians of Indian origin should be kept in mind while readmitting the country into the Commonwealth. In an earlier statement on Mr. Singh's visit, the New Zealand Foreign Minister, Mr. Phil Goff, said: ``When I went to India in March this year, I invited Minister Singh to visit New Zealand. I'm glad he's been able to take up the invitation so soon. He is now Defence Minister as well as External Affairs Minister, so we will have plenty to talk about.''

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Lashkar charge against Vajpayee
Next     : Burnley, Oldham not linked: police