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India won't accept no-test option

Diplomatic Correspondent

Draft agreement provided by U.S. contained such a reference

NEW DELHI: India has conveyed to the United States that it will not accept a provision in any civilian nuclear agreement with the U.S. that says cooperation would be discontinued if New Delhi were to conduct a nuclear test.

Responding to reports in a section of the press, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna confirmed on Monday that a draft agreement provided by the U.S. contained such a provision.

"In preliminary discussions on these elements, India has already conveyed to the U.S. that such a provision has no place in the proposed bilateral agreement and that India is bound only by what is contained in the July 18 [2005] joint statement, that is, continuing its commitment to a unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing," he said.

"India's position on the CTBT is well known and continues to be valid," he added.

New Delhi has, so far, refused to sign the CTBT, which was unable to take effect after the U.S. Senate failed to ratify it.

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