NEW DELHI: India on Friday concurred with the opinion of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the civilian nuclear deal with Washington would have no impact on New Delhi's strategic programme.

Responding to press reports quoting a retired Intelligence official that India could make 50 nuclear warheads annually, the External Affairs Ministry said New Delhi was committed to a "credible minimum deterrent".

"The argument that the nuclear deal with the U.S. would enhance our strategic capacity is as misplaced as its opposite extreme — that it would cripple our programme. We believe that Secretary Rice has accurately summed up the situation in her Congressional testimony when she has noted that the nuclear deal would have no impact on our strategic programme."

"Unfortunately, there has been a considerable amount of misinformed speculation about our nuclear programme. First of all, you must remember that our nuclear deal with the U.S. is about civilian nuclear energy cooperation and not about our strategic programme. The issues touched upon in this report have all been covered by the separation plan, which has been tabled in Parliament. It is clear and unambiguous, just as the July 18 (2005) joint statement is. There is no room for misinterpretation," the Ministry added.

In "response" to another "question" on the comments made by U.S. Congressman Tom Lantos that India should not associate with the NAM statements on Iran, the Ministry said, "We have been negotiating the nuclear deal with the U.S. Administration on the premise that it is an agreement about civil(ian) nuclear energy cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit."

In another development, New Delhi regretted on Friday that the Organisation of Islamic Conference had once again chosen to comment on Jammu and Kashmir at the OIC Foreign Ministers' meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan.

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