CarbonD
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Argentina
The government regretted the nuclear tests India carried out on Monday. The government also recalled that Argentina had signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the objective of which is to end such nuclear explosions, and noted that the Indian nuclear tests were not in accordance with this objective.
(Clarin Digital, 12 May 98)
Australia
Australia withdrew its high commissioner to India, Rob Laurie, in response to the initial Indian tests. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the Australian government regarded the subsequent tests "as beyond the pale of international behavior." He also said, "it is a quite terrible thing of the Indian government to have done." Downer also said Australia would lodge a strong diplomatic complaint with India and that, "the important thing is that we take measures that just aren't symbolic, that are going to be effective in stopping India continuing with this program."
(The Australian, 14 May 98; BBC News, 13 May 98)
Prime Minister John Howard referred to the Indian tests as "an ill-judged step."
(The Times, 13 MMay 98)
Brazil
The Brazilian government said it profoundly laments the actions of the Indian government, which put the nuclear nonproliferation regime at risk. The government also urged India to accede to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which constitutes an important step towards nuclear disarmament, a goal to which Brazil is firmly committed.
(Ministry of Foreign Relations, 13 May 98)
Canada
Canada has withdrawn its high commissioner to India, Peter Walker. Deputy Prime Minister Herb Gray said, "we are very concerned about this, and we are prepared and are taking concrete action." Gray also said that "Canada deplores the actions of India."
(Toronto Star, 13 May 98)
Foreignn Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy said, "we are deeply concerned and very disappointed with India's decision to carry out these nuclear tests. This incident is contrary to the international norms established by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. These tests could have grave implications for global non-proliferation and disarmament, as well as for regional security. We urge India to renounce its nuclear weapons program and to sign the NPT and the CTBT."
(Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, 11 May 98)
China
Referring to India's three nuclear tests on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said that the government "expresses grave concern about India conducting nuclear tests." Zhu said, Indian nuclear testing "runs against international trend and is detrimental to the peace and stability of the South Assian region."
(Lateline News, 12 May 98; CNN, 13 May 98)
On 13 May the Chinese government stated that it was "shocked and strongly condemns" the Indian nuclear tests and called for the international community to "adopt a unified stand and strongly demand that India immediate stop development of nuclear weapons."
(Reuters, 13 May 1998)
France
France has criticized India but said it opposed US sanctions and will not apply its own.
(International Herald Tribune, 14 May 98)
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said in a press conference that in the Ministry's official statement, "France reiterates its commitment both to the cause of disarmament and non-proliferation and to the improvement of securityy and stability in South Asia. In this context, it expresses its concern and calls on all the region's states to show restraint."
(Info-France-USA, 12 May 98)
G8
"We condemn the nuclear tests which were carried out by India on 11 and 13 May. Such action runs counter to the will expressed by 149 signatories to the CTBT to cease nuclear testing, to efforts to strengthen the global non-proliferation regime and to steps to enhance regional and international peace and security. It has been met by immediate international concern and opposition, from governments and more widely. We underline our full commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty as the cornerstones of the global non-proliferation regime and the essential foundations for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament. We express our grave concern about the increased risk of nuclear and missile proliferation in South Asia and elsewhere. We urge India and other states in the region to refrain from further tests and the deployment of nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles. We call upon India to rejoin the mainstream of international opinion, to adhere unconditionally to the NPT and the CTBT and to enter into negotiations on a global treaty to stop the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons. India�s relationship with each of us has been affected by these developments. We are making this clear in our own direct exchanges and dealings with the Indian Government and we call upon other states similarly to address their concerns to India. We call upon and encourage Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint in the face of these tests and to adhere to international non-proliferation norms. "
(Official statement following the Birmingham Summit, 15 May 1998)
Germany
Chancellor Helmut Kohl said that the federal government "will make it clear that this was the wrong decision for them to take; that we do not accept that decision." Kohl noted, "this decision will make a contribution to increasing tensions in the region because it, too, is in a way a direct challenge to the neighboring countries."
(Office of the Press Secretary, 13 May 98)
Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said the Indian tests are a setback for the efforts of international nonproliferation, and that any German sanctions would depend on the European Union.
(AP, 11 May 98; Reuters, 13 May 98)
Minister for economic cooperation Carl-Dieter Spranger cancelled aid talks with Indian officials that had been scheduled for Tuesday, and a portion of new development aid forr India was put on hold.
(AP, 13 May 98)
Israel
Israel will not condemn India for conducting nuclear tests, nor will it publish an official response to the tests. Unofficially, Israeli representatives said that, "Israel has signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and calls on all countries in the world to sign it." The unofficial comment is not published, but is quoted by Israel's official representatives at home and abroad.
(Ha'aretz, 17 May 98)
Japan
Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto said that the nuclear tests were "extremely regrettable," and announced that Japan would cut off all aid, except humanitarian aid, to India.
(AP, 12 May 98; CNN, 13 May 98).
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kanezo Muraoka said, "It is extrremely regrettable that India conducted such testing, while the international community including Japan had repeatedly requested the new Indian administration to exercise maximum restraint on nuclear policies."
(AP, 12 May 98)
Foreign Minister Keizo Obuchi lodged a formal protest with Indian ambassador Siddharth Singh in Tokyo.
(AP, 12 May 98)
Pakistan
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said, "I wish to assure the nation that Pakistan has the capability to respond to any threat to its security�. We will take all necessary measures to safeguard our security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests."
(AP, 12 May 98)
Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan said, "Indian actions, which pose an immediate and grave threat to Pakistan's security, will not go unanswered." Khan told the press that Pakistan had "a superior technology than India's in both missile and nuclear fields."
(Reuters, 13 May 98)
Pakistan's Defense Committee called India's three nuclear tests on Monday "reckless and highly provocative."
(CNN, 13 May 98)
Foreign Ministry spokesman Nadeem Kiyani said that Pakistan condemns India's two nuclear tests on Wednesday, adding, "we are looking into the situation."
(CNN, 13 May 98)
Abdul Qadeer Khan, father of Pakistan's nuclear research program, said he only needed orders from the government to carry out a nuclear explosion within 10 days. He said, "It is a political decision. Now it all depends on the government."
(The Times, 13 May 98)
Former Prime Minister and Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto said, "India has now gone ahead conducting three nuclear tests and I expect Pakistan to follow the suit."
(AP, 13 May 98)
Lt. Gen. (retired) Hamid Gul urged the government to devise an "equally matching and powerful response" to the Indian nuclear tests.
(AP, 12 May 98)
Russian Reaction to the Indian Nuclear Tests
Dr. Scott Parrish, CNS Senior Research Associate
13 May 1998
The reaction in Russia to the nuclear tests conducted by India on 11 and 13 May 1998 has been overwhelmingly negative. Government officials from Russian President Boris Yeltsin on down have criticized the tests, with the Russian foreign Ministry terming them "unacceptable." Among leading Russian political parties, only the extreme nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), led by Vladimir Zhirinovsky, has expressed approval of India�s action. However, the Russian response to the Indian tests seems likely to be limited to diplomatic protests. Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeniy Primakov has virtually ruled out Russian participation in any international sanctions against India. Furthermore, First Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Viktor Mikhailov has declared his support for moving forward with the proposed sale of nuclear power reactors to India despite the nuclear tests. Early signs thus suggest that Russia will support diplomatic efforts to pressure India to cease testing but will not take any steps that would jeopardize Russian ties with India.
In a 12 May speech to the leadership of the Russian Foreign Ministry, President Yeltsin offered only relatively mild criticism of the Indian nuclear tests. Yeltsin said that "of course India has let us down," by conducting the nuclear tests. "I think that by diplomatic means [and] visits we should seek a reversal" of Indian nuclear policy, he added. Yeltsin�s spokesman Sergey Yastrzhembskiy made a somewhat stronger statement later on 12 May, telling a news conference that "we think that India sooner or later--better sooner than later--will have to join the international convention on the comprehensive test ban."
The Russian Foreign Ministry offered harsher condemnation of the Indian test, but Foreign Minister Yevgeniy Primakov all but ruled out Moscow�s participation in any possible international sanctions targeted against India. In a press statement, the Foreign Ministry said that Russia viewed the Indian nuclear tests "with alarm and concern," adding that "as a close friend of India this action has caused us to feel great regret." The statement condemned the Indian tests as "unacceptable." It assessed the tests as "contradicting the efforts of the international community to strengthen the nuclear nonproliferation regime on the global and regional level," and charged that the tests "push the world toward the spread of nuclear weapons, [and] create additional significant obstacles in the path of further reductions in nuclear arms." The statement called on India to reverse its nuclear policy and adhere to the Treaty on Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Despite this rhetoric, Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeniy Primakov said in a 12 May interview with the NTV network that Moscow will not "support any sanctions against India." Primakov said that Russia views sanctions "guardedly," and feels they might "lead to counterproductive results." However, he criticized the tests as upsetting the "existing balance of forces in the world," and noted that "an increase in the number of nuclear powers in the world does not correspond to Russian national interests." Primakov added that Russia had lodged a formal protest with the Indian Embassy, and urged Pakistan to refrain from conducting its own nuclear tests.
The Russian military also reacted negatively to the Indian tests. Colonel-General Vladimir Yakovlev, commander of the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces, told Interfax on 12 May 1998 that he did not believe that an increase in the number of nuclear powers would contribute to either global or regional stability. He noted pessimistically that the process of nuclear proliferation was difficult to stop, and cited estimates that "by 2005-2010, about 20 countries in the Third World will have the capability to produce nuclear missiles."
Russian Reactor Sale to Go Forward?
One question concerning Russia�s reaction to the Indian test is what impact it might have on ongoing negotiations over the sale of two Russian-made VVER-1000 nuclear power reactors to India. The deal, which has not yet been finalized, has been controversial because of India�s refusal to sign the NPT and its operation of unsafeguarded nuclear facilities. The United States has argued that the sale violates the spirit of a 1992 agreement by the Nuclear Suppliers Group not to sell nuclear equipment to countries which have not accepted full-scope safeguards on their nuclear facilities, which India has refused to do. Russia has argued that the sale should be allowed under a "grandfather clause" in that agreement, which exempted sales which were already in progress before 1992. An anonymous official at the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy told Interfax on 12 May that the Indian nuclear tests could lead to the reconsideration of the reactor sale to India. The official said that a decision on whether or not to go ahead with the sale would be made "on the level of the government," and would depend on "how the situation develops." Later, however, First Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Viktor Mikhailov, a strong proponent of Russian nuclear exports, said that he hoped the sale would go forward despite the tests. "Our contacts with India have very deep roots and the struggle in the world market for construction of nuclear electric stations is stiff, so I hope that the leadership of the country will reserve this market for us," Mikhailov concluded.
Parliamentary Reaction
Reaction among Russian parliamentarians was mixed. Vladimir Lukin, a member of the liberal Yabloko faction and Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Duma, told Interfax that "Russia opposes any nuclear tests," and called on the Russian government to "make an appropriate appraisal" of the Indian action. Viktor Ilyukhin, a Communist, and Chairman of the Security Committee of the Duma, also criticized the Indian action, saying that it could "torpedo all agreements on the prohibition of nuclear testing." Ilyukhin suggested that Russia and the UN should issue "specific declarations and warn India." However, he pointedly noted that that he would not support sanctions against India.
There was support for India�s action only on the fringes of Russian politics. Aleksey Mitrofanov, a member of the extreme nationalist LDPR faction, and chairman of the Geopolitics Committee of the Duma, said that "India, by conducting nuclear tests, acted correctly" in light of the nuclear threat to India posed by Pakistan. Mitrofanov contended that Russia should "draw its own conclusions," and "reconsider its attitude toward a ban on nuclear tests." Mitrofanov said that the LDPR would soon submit a draft resolution to the Duma, calling on the Russian government to resume a limited nuclear test program.
Conclusion
While Russian reaction to the Indian nuclear tests has been negative, there is little support for sanctions against India. Given the ongoing trade and cooperation in the military and nuclear spheres strong lobbies in Moscow will resist any policies that might hamper bilateral ties. Despite Russian concern about new members of the nuclear club, Russian reactions are likely to remain limited to protests and calls for restraint.
South Africa
According to a Department of Foreign Affairs statement, "the South African Government has noted with deep concern the three underground nuclear tests carried out by India in the Pokharan range in the state of Rajastan. The South African government opposes the testing of nuclear devices as a matter of principle and hopes that these tests will not lead to an arms race in South Asia."
(Department of Foreign Affairs, 12 May 98)
President Nelson Mandela noted that South Africa has called upon all countries to help the United Nation promote peace and stability, and said that "the proliferation of destructive weapons is contrary to those efforts and therefore we condemn it (the tests) without reservation." When asked whether South Africa would impose sanctions, Mandela commented that "we prefer that all these things should be done by the United Nations and that no country should take an individual position on matters that affect the international community."
(Sapa, 13 May 98)
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad said that South Africa had no plans to impose economic sanctions against India.
(Sapa, 12 May 98)
South Korea
A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade expressed the government's "deep regrets over India's underground nuclear testing at a time international efforts are being stepped up to realize a world without nuclear testing."
(KPS, 13 May 98)
United Kingdom
Defense Minister George Robertson said, "it is not a helpful move and not a good day for the world as a whole. The repercussions are obvious and ominous. It is very worrying for the international community."
(China Daily, 13 May 98)
A Foreign Office statement said, "reports of two further tests today were in flagrant disregard of the concerns already expressed by the international community and made matters yet worse."
(Financial Times, 13 May 98)
United Nations
A spokesman for Secretary General Kofi Annan said that Annan "learned with deep regret of the announcement that India had conducted three underground nuclear tests." The spokesman said that Annan was "concerned that the latest testing is inconsistent with the pattern which has been firmly endorsed by the international community."
(United Nations, 11 May 98)
Secretary General Annan stated that he is "deeply disturbed" by the announcement that India had conducted two more nuclear tests on Wednesday. Annan said he "continued to look forward to the unequivocal assurance of India and all other States that the international community's norm on nuclear testing and non-proliferation would be adhered to."
(UN Daily Highlights, 13 May 98)
Presidentt of the General Assembly Hennadiy Udovenko of Ukraine expressed "dismay and disappointment" at the Indian series of tests.
(UN Daily Highlights, 13 May 98)
The Security Council stated that it "strongly deplores" India's five nuclear tests, and "strongly urges" India to refrain from conducting further tests. The council said in a statement, "it is the view that such testing is contrary to the de facto moratorium on the testing of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosives, and to global efforts toward nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear disarmament."
(Reuters, 14 May 1998)
United States
President Bill Clinton stated that the Indian nuclear tests "were unjustified. They clearly create a dangerous new instability in their region. And, as a result, in accordance with United States law, I havee decided to impose economic sanctions against India."
(Office of the Press Secretary, 13 May 98)
Clinton recalled US ambassador to India Richard Celeste to Washington for consultation.
(CNN, 13 May 98)
National Security Advisor Samuel Berger said that the United States was "deeply disappointed" by the Indian decision to "test nuclear weapons."
(USIA Washington File, 11 May 98)
White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry said that India's decision to conduct nuclear tests "runs counter to the effort the international community is making to promulgate a comprehensive ban on such testing."
(USIA Washington File, 11 May 98)
CNS - World Reaction to the Indian Nuclear Tests
The government regretted the nuclear tests India carried out on Monday. The government also recalled that Argentina had signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the objective of which is to end such nuclear explosions, and noted that the Indian nuclear tests were not in accordance with this objective.
(Clarin Digital, 12 May 98)
Australia
Australia withdrew its high commissioner to India, Rob Laurie, in response to the initial Indian tests. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the Australian government regarded the subsequent tests "as beyond the pale of international behavior." He also said, "it is a quite terrible thing of the Indian government to have done." Downer also said Australia would lodge a strong diplomatic complaint with India and that, "the important thing is that we take measures that just aren't symbolic, that are going to be effective in stopping India continuing with this program."
(The Australian, 14 May 98; BBC News, 13 May 98)
Prime Minister John Howard referred to the Indian tests as "an ill-judged step."
(The Times, 13 MMay 98)
Brazil
The Brazilian government said it profoundly laments the actions of the Indian government, which put the nuclear nonproliferation regime at risk. The government also urged India to accede to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which constitutes an important step towards nuclear disarmament, a goal to which Brazil is firmly committed.
(Ministry of Foreign Relations, 13 May 98)
Canada
Canada has withdrawn its high commissioner to India, Peter Walker. Deputy Prime Minister Herb Gray said, "we are very concerned about this, and we are prepared and are taking concrete action." Gray also said that "Canada deplores the actions of India."
(Toronto Star, 13 May 98)
Foreignn Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy said, "we are deeply concerned and very disappointed with India's decision to carry out these nuclear tests. This incident is contrary to the international norms established by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. These tests could have grave implications for global non-proliferation and disarmament, as well as for regional security. We urge India to renounce its nuclear weapons program and to sign the NPT and the CTBT."
(Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, 11 May 98)
China
Referring to India's three nuclear tests on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said that the government "expresses grave concern about India conducting nuclear tests." Zhu said, Indian nuclear testing "runs against international trend and is detrimental to the peace and stability of the South Assian region."
(Lateline News, 12 May 98; CNN, 13 May 98)
On 13 May the Chinese government stated that it was "shocked and strongly condemns" the Indian nuclear tests and called for the international community to "adopt a unified stand and strongly demand that India immediate stop development of nuclear weapons."
(Reuters, 13 May 1998)
France
France has criticized India but said it opposed US sanctions and will not apply its own.
(International Herald Tribune, 14 May 98)
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said in a press conference that in the Ministry's official statement, "France reiterates its commitment both to the cause of disarmament and non-proliferation and to the improvement of securityy and stability in South Asia. In this context, it expresses its concern and calls on all the region's states to show restraint."
(Info-France-USA, 12 May 98)
G8
"We condemn the nuclear tests which were carried out by India on 11 and 13 May. Such action runs counter to the will expressed by 149 signatories to the CTBT to cease nuclear testing, to efforts to strengthen the global non-proliferation regime and to steps to enhance regional and international peace and security. It has been met by immediate international concern and opposition, from governments and more widely. We underline our full commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty as the cornerstones of the global non-proliferation regime and the essential foundations for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament. We express our grave concern about the increased risk of nuclear and missile proliferation in South Asia and elsewhere. We urge India and other states in the region to refrain from further tests and the deployment of nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles. We call upon India to rejoin the mainstream of international opinion, to adhere unconditionally to the NPT and the CTBT and to enter into negotiations on a global treaty to stop the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons. India�s relationship with each of us has been affected by these developments. We are making this clear in our own direct exchanges and dealings with the Indian Government and we call upon other states similarly to address their concerns to India. We call upon and encourage Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint in the face of these tests and to adhere to international non-proliferation norms. "
(Official statement following the Birmingham Summit, 15 May 1998)
Germany
Chancellor Helmut Kohl said that the federal government "will make it clear that this was the wrong decision for them to take; that we do not accept that decision." Kohl noted, "this decision will make a contribution to increasing tensions in the region because it, too, is in a way a direct challenge to the neighboring countries."
(Office of the Press Secretary, 13 May 98)
Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said the Indian tests are a setback for the efforts of international nonproliferation, and that any German sanctions would depend on the European Union.
(AP, 11 May 98; Reuters, 13 May 98)
Minister for economic cooperation Carl-Dieter Spranger cancelled aid talks with Indian officials that had been scheduled for Tuesday, and a portion of new development aid forr India was put on hold.
(AP, 13 May 98)
Israel
Israel will not condemn India for conducting nuclear tests, nor will it publish an official response to the tests. Unofficially, Israeli representatives said that, "Israel has signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and calls on all countries in the world to sign it." The unofficial comment is not published, but is quoted by Israel's official representatives at home and abroad.
(Ha'aretz, 17 May 98)
Japan
Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto said that the nuclear tests were "extremely regrettable," and announced that Japan would cut off all aid, except humanitarian aid, to India.
(AP, 12 May 98; CNN, 13 May 98).
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kanezo Muraoka said, "It is extrremely regrettable that India conducted such testing, while the international community including Japan had repeatedly requested the new Indian administration to exercise maximum restraint on nuclear policies."
(AP, 12 May 98)
Foreign Minister Keizo Obuchi lodged a formal protest with Indian ambassador Siddharth Singh in Tokyo.
(AP, 12 May 98)
Pakistan
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said, "I wish to assure the nation that Pakistan has the capability to respond to any threat to its security�. We will take all necessary measures to safeguard our security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests."
(AP, 12 May 98)
Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan said, "Indian actions, which pose an immediate and grave threat to Pakistan's security, will not go unanswered." Khan told the press that Pakistan had "a superior technology than India's in both missile and nuclear fields."
(Reuters, 13 May 98)
Pakistan's Defense Committee called India's three nuclear tests on Monday "reckless and highly provocative."
(CNN, 13 May 98)
Foreign Ministry spokesman Nadeem Kiyani said that Pakistan condemns India's two nuclear tests on Wednesday, adding, "we are looking into the situation."
(CNN, 13 May 98)
Abdul Qadeer Khan, father of Pakistan's nuclear research program, said he only needed orders from the government to carry out a nuclear explosion within 10 days. He said, "It is a political decision. Now it all depends on the government."
(The Times, 13 May 98)
Former Prime Minister and Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto said, "India has now gone ahead conducting three nuclear tests and I expect Pakistan to follow the suit."
(AP, 13 May 98)
Lt. Gen. (retired) Hamid Gul urged the government to devise an "equally matching and powerful response" to the Indian nuclear tests.
(AP, 12 May 98)
Russian Reaction to the Indian Nuclear Tests
Dr. Scott Parrish, CNS Senior Research Associate
13 May 1998
The reaction in Russia to the nuclear tests conducted by India on 11 and 13 May 1998 has been overwhelmingly negative. Government officials from Russian President Boris Yeltsin on down have criticized the tests, with the Russian foreign Ministry terming them "unacceptable." Among leading Russian political parties, only the extreme nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), led by Vladimir Zhirinovsky, has expressed approval of India�s action. However, the Russian response to the Indian tests seems likely to be limited to diplomatic protests. Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeniy Primakov has virtually ruled out Russian participation in any international sanctions against India. Furthermore, First Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Viktor Mikhailov has declared his support for moving forward with the proposed sale of nuclear power reactors to India despite the nuclear tests. Early signs thus suggest that Russia will support diplomatic efforts to pressure India to cease testing but will not take any steps that would jeopardize Russian ties with India.
In a 12 May speech to the leadership of the Russian Foreign Ministry, President Yeltsin offered only relatively mild criticism of the Indian nuclear tests. Yeltsin said that "of course India has let us down," by conducting the nuclear tests. "I think that by diplomatic means [and] visits we should seek a reversal" of Indian nuclear policy, he added. Yeltsin�s spokesman Sergey Yastrzhembskiy made a somewhat stronger statement later on 12 May, telling a news conference that "we think that India sooner or later--better sooner than later--will have to join the international convention on the comprehensive test ban."
The Russian Foreign Ministry offered harsher condemnation of the Indian test, but Foreign Minister Yevgeniy Primakov all but ruled out Moscow�s participation in any possible international sanctions targeted against India. In a press statement, the Foreign Ministry said that Russia viewed the Indian nuclear tests "with alarm and concern," adding that "as a close friend of India this action has caused us to feel great regret." The statement condemned the Indian tests as "unacceptable." It assessed the tests as "contradicting the efforts of the international community to strengthen the nuclear nonproliferation regime on the global and regional level," and charged that the tests "push the world toward the spread of nuclear weapons, [and] create additional significant obstacles in the path of further reductions in nuclear arms." The statement called on India to reverse its nuclear policy and adhere to the Treaty on Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Despite this rhetoric, Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeniy Primakov said in a 12 May interview with the NTV network that Moscow will not "support any sanctions against India." Primakov said that Russia views sanctions "guardedly," and feels they might "lead to counterproductive results." However, he criticized the tests as upsetting the "existing balance of forces in the world," and noted that "an increase in the number of nuclear powers in the world does not correspond to Russian national interests." Primakov added that Russia had lodged a formal protest with the Indian Embassy, and urged Pakistan to refrain from conducting its own nuclear tests.
The Russian military also reacted negatively to the Indian tests. Colonel-General Vladimir Yakovlev, commander of the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces, told Interfax on 12 May 1998 that he did not believe that an increase in the number of nuclear powers would contribute to either global or regional stability. He noted pessimistically that the process of nuclear proliferation was difficult to stop, and cited estimates that "by 2005-2010, about 20 countries in the Third World will have the capability to produce nuclear missiles."
Russian Reactor Sale to Go Forward?
One question concerning Russia�s reaction to the Indian test is what impact it might have on ongoing negotiations over the sale of two Russian-made VVER-1000 nuclear power reactors to India. The deal, which has not yet been finalized, has been controversial because of India�s refusal to sign the NPT and its operation of unsafeguarded nuclear facilities. The United States has argued that the sale violates the spirit of a 1992 agreement by the Nuclear Suppliers Group not to sell nuclear equipment to countries which have not accepted full-scope safeguards on their nuclear facilities, which India has refused to do. Russia has argued that the sale should be allowed under a "grandfather clause" in that agreement, which exempted sales which were already in progress before 1992. An anonymous official at the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy told Interfax on 12 May that the Indian nuclear tests could lead to the reconsideration of the reactor sale to India. The official said that a decision on whether or not to go ahead with the sale would be made "on the level of the government," and would depend on "how the situation develops." Later, however, First Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Viktor Mikhailov, a strong proponent of Russian nuclear exports, said that he hoped the sale would go forward despite the tests. "Our contacts with India have very deep roots and the struggle in the world market for construction of nuclear electric stations is stiff, so I hope that the leadership of the country will reserve this market for us," Mikhailov concluded.
Parliamentary Reaction
Reaction among Russian parliamentarians was mixed. Vladimir Lukin, a member of the liberal Yabloko faction and Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Duma, told Interfax that "Russia opposes any nuclear tests," and called on the Russian government to "make an appropriate appraisal" of the Indian action. Viktor Ilyukhin, a Communist, and Chairman of the Security Committee of the Duma, also criticized the Indian action, saying that it could "torpedo all agreements on the prohibition of nuclear testing." Ilyukhin suggested that Russia and the UN should issue "specific declarations and warn India." However, he pointedly noted that that he would not support sanctions against India.
There was support for India�s action only on the fringes of Russian politics. Aleksey Mitrofanov, a member of the extreme nationalist LDPR faction, and chairman of the Geopolitics Committee of the Duma, said that "India, by conducting nuclear tests, acted correctly" in light of the nuclear threat to India posed by Pakistan. Mitrofanov contended that Russia should "draw its own conclusions," and "reconsider its attitude toward a ban on nuclear tests." Mitrofanov said that the LDPR would soon submit a draft resolution to the Duma, calling on the Russian government to resume a limited nuclear test program.
Conclusion
While Russian reaction to the Indian nuclear tests has been negative, there is little support for sanctions against India. Given the ongoing trade and cooperation in the military and nuclear spheres strong lobbies in Moscow will resist any policies that might hamper bilateral ties. Despite Russian concern about new members of the nuclear club, Russian reactions are likely to remain limited to protests and calls for restraint.
South Africa
According to a Department of Foreign Affairs statement, "the South African Government has noted with deep concern the three underground nuclear tests carried out by India in the Pokharan range in the state of Rajastan. The South African government opposes the testing of nuclear devices as a matter of principle and hopes that these tests will not lead to an arms race in South Asia."
(Department of Foreign Affairs, 12 May 98)
President Nelson Mandela noted that South Africa has called upon all countries to help the United Nation promote peace and stability, and said that "the proliferation of destructive weapons is contrary to those efforts and therefore we condemn it (the tests) without reservation." When asked whether South Africa would impose sanctions, Mandela commented that "we prefer that all these things should be done by the United Nations and that no country should take an individual position on matters that affect the international community."
(Sapa, 13 May 98)
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad said that South Africa had no plans to impose economic sanctions against India.
(Sapa, 12 May 98)
South Korea
A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade expressed the government's "deep regrets over India's underground nuclear testing at a time international efforts are being stepped up to realize a world without nuclear testing."
(KPS, 13 May 98)
United Kingdom
Defense Minister George Robertson said, "it is not a helpful move and not a good day for the world as a whole. The repercussions are obvious and ominous. It is very worrying for the international community."
(China Daily, 13 May 98)
A Foreign Office statement said, "reports of two further tests today were in flagrant disregard of the concerns already expressed by the international community and made matters yet worse."
(Financial Times, 13 May 98)
United Nations
A spokesman for Secretary General Kofi Annan said that Annan "learned with deep regret of the announcement that India had conducted three underground nuclear tests." The spokesman said that Annan was "concerned that the latest testing is inconsistent with the pattern which has been firmly endorsed by the international community."
(United Nations, 11 May 98)
Secretary General Annan stated that he is "deeply disturbed" by the announcement that India had conducted two more nuclear tests on Wednesday. Annan said he "continued to look forward to the unequivocal assurance of India and all other States that the international community's norm on nuclear testing and non-proliferation would be adhered to."
(UN Daily Highlights, 13 May 98)
Presidentt of the General Assembly Hennadiy Udovenko of Ukraine expressed "dismay and disappointment" at the Indian series of tests.
(UN Daily Highlights, 13 May 98)
The Security Council stated that it "strongly deplores" India's five nuclear tests, and "strongly urges" India to refrain from conducting further tests. The council said in a statement, "it is the view that such testing is contrary to the de facto moratorium on the testing of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosives, and to global efforts toward nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear disarmament."
(Reuters, 14 May 1998)
United States
President Bill Clinton stated that the Indian nuclear tests "were unjustified. They clearly create a dangerous new instability in their region. And, as a result, in accordance with United States law, I havee decided to impose economic sanctions against India."
(Office of the Press Secretary, 13 May 98)
Clinton recalled US ambassador to India Richard Celeste to Washington for consultation.
(CNN, 13 May 98)
National Security Advisor Samuel Berger said that the United States was "deeply disappointed" by the Indian decision to "test nuclear weapons."
(USIA Washington File, 11 May 98)
White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry said that India's decision to conduct nuclear tests "runs counter to the effort the international community is making to promulgate a comprehensive ban on such testing."
(USIA Washington File, 11 May 98)
CNS - World Reaction to the Indian Nuclear Tests
