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Indo-US interests are converging: Frank Pallone

Prominent Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone has urged the Clinton administration to give up its opposition to India's proposed nuclear doctrine and, instead, acknowledge New Delhi's status as a nuclear power and help develop confidence-building in South Asia.

''In light of India's responsible handling of the Kargil situation, I believe India's nuclear arms doctrine deserves to at least be received by the United States as a serious basis for promoting regional stability,'' he said, in a statement released in Washington last night.

''One of the key factors that has been overlooked in our narrow India-Pakistan focus is the role of China,'' he said, adding, ''I believe that China is a real threat to India, as well as to US interests and to regional security. It is in this context that India's potential role as a partner for peace and stability should be understood.''

He said India had legitimate concerns about China's support for Pakistan's nuclear and missile programmes, as well as potential Chinese designs on Indian territory. ''Since the US must also view China as a potential adversary, there is a growing convergence of American and Indian objectives for responding to China,'' he added.

The Congressman said the US should work to build on the emerging notion of minimum deterrence, combined with a declared policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons.

''Our goal should be to make India a partner in the American foreign policy goal of minimising the threat of nuclear war. One way of accomplishing this is to take the long overdue step of accepting India as permanent member of the UN Security Council,'' he added.

Pallone said, ''the key is to make India a partner for peace, and not to isolate India and further contribute to the perception that its legitimate security concerns are not receiving adequate attention or respect.''

He welcomed the draft policy as ''a further indication of India's stability, transparency and political maturity.''

''By stressing civilian control over its nuclear weapons and the doctrine of no-first-use, India is demonstrating that it is a democracy, acting within its legitimate right to self-defence and not seeking to threaten its neighbours,'' Pallone said.

UNI

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