Vienna, Aug 20: With Iraq signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) on Tuesday, Aug 19, Executive of Organisation, Tibor Toth, on Wednesday, Aug 20 urged India also to sign the treaty, a day before the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meet. Stating that three countries in the Asian region are required to enforce the treaty, he referred India, North Korea and Pakistan to sign the treaty. The Vienna-based global organisation is tasked with ensuring effective implementation of the treaty.

Iraq's action was an important step in the area of prohibition of weapons of mass destruction taking into account the crisis over this issue in the past 15 years. With Iraq coming on board, 179 countries have signed the CTBT, Toth added.

Toth also urged those signatory countries which have not ratified the treaty yet to do so as this will strengthen its enforcement.

The Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO was established Nov 19, 1996, by a resolution adopted by the meeting of signatories to the CTBT at the United Nations in New York.

India has refused to sign the CTBT on grounds that it is discriminatory as it amounts to dividing the world into the nuclear haves and have-nots. After it declared itself a nuclear weapon state in 1998, the world's leading powers stepped up pressure on India to sign the CTBT.

New Delhi has, however, assured the international community by placing a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing.



OneIndia News