Nuclear terrorism a potent threat: PM
India Blooms News Service
Seoul, Mar 27 (IBNS): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said that nuclear terrorism will remain a potent threat till terrorists attempt to gain access to nuclear material sand technologies for ‘malicious‘ purposes, here.
“Nuclear terrorism will remain a potent threat as long as there are terrorists seeking to gain access to nuclear material and technologies for malicious purposes. India is acutely conscious of this threat,” Singh said while addressing the Plenary of the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in South Korean capital Seoul.
"Our resolution at the General Assembly on measures to deny terrorists access to weapons of mass destruction has been adopted by consensus since 2002," said the PM.
He said that India supports the extension of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 and the work of its Committee.
“India is party to the main international legal instruments on nuclear security - the Convention on Physical Protection and its 2005 amendment, as well as the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. We support the universalization of these instruments,” he said.
Speaking on nuclear safety, Singh said: “We have undertaken comprehensive reviews of nuclear safety measures at our nuclear facilities. India has invited the Operational Safety Review Teams of the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) to assist in its own safety reviews and audit."
"Nuclear safety evaluations are being put in the public domain to enhance transparency and boost public confidence. We are also in the process of setting up a statutory, independent and autonomous Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority. We are strengthening emergency preparedness and response to nuclear accidents,“ he said.
Singh's comments were made at a time when a group of locals and fishermen, led by activist organisations, have raised a protest movement against Kudankulam Atomic Power Project coming up in Tirunelveli district of south Indian state Tamil Nadu.
He said India will contribute 1 million US dollars to the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Fund for the years 2012-13.
“The IAEA has a central role in strengthening the international global nuclear security architecture. I am happy to announce that India will contribute 1 million US dollars to the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Fund for the years 2012-13,” he said.
Singh said he believes that the best guarantee to nuclear security is a world free from nuclear weapons and that could be achieved through ‘commitments embedded in an agreed multilateral framework involving all states possessing nuclear weapons’.
The PM said that India is committed to strengthen and improve further the effectiveness of its nuclear safety and security systems and make a significant contribution to the enhancement of the global nuclear security architecture.
World leaders gathered at Seoul to attend Nuclear Security Summit on March 26-27.
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