PM welcomes U.S. initiative

NEW DELHI, MAY 11. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today welcomed the U.S. President, Mr. George Bush's initiative for steep reduction in nuclear arsenal but said India needed a credible minimum nuclear deterrent.

In his first comments on Mr. Bush's offer last week, Mr. Vajpayee said India welcomed his suggestions to move away from further development of offensive nuclear technologies and his offer of consultations in the context of New Delhi's desire to move towards lightening the shadow of nuclear terror under which the world lived today.

His remarks came at a function here to give awards to defence scientists on the third anniversary of 1998 Pokhran nuclear blasts today being observed as ``national technology day''.

``We believe a genuine process of consultations, including nuclear and non-nuclear countries and taking into account existing arrangements in the security architecture, can promote the search for a stable new global security framework.''

- PTI

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