Disarmament Diplomacy

Issue No. 10, November 1996

Australia and India discuss disarmament

In late October, Australia and India held amicable talks on arms control issues. Both sides stressed the need for a nuclear disarmament process aiming at deep cuts and involving all the declared nuclear-weapon States. In the words of Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, speaking in New Delhi on 23 October:

"There is great scope for cooperation between Australia and India on nuclear disarmament issues... [We need to seek agreement] on a total road map for how we move towards the ultimate objective of the elimination of nuclear weapons."

Downer maintained that India's rejection of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty "hasn't been a cause of tension in our bilateral relations at all."

Report: Australia, India look past nuclear test ban split, Reuter News Reports, 23 October.

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