To: Mohan Marette who wrote (5383 ) 7/29/1999 11:38:00 AM From: Mohan Marette Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 12475
India to okay treaty on S-E Asia as N-arms free zone Singapore, July 28 (Agencies) Foreign Ministers at a joint press conference after the 32nd Asean ministerial meeting and the 6th Asean Regional Forum and Post Ministerial conferences in Singapore on Wednesday. External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh is seated first from right. Photo: AP India has agreed to endorse a treaty aimed at turning South East Asia into a nuclear weapons-free zone, a day after China announced it would accede to the pact. External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said he had agreed at a meeting with Asean that India was ready to sign a protocol to the treaty on the South East Asia Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone (Seanwfz). “India is fully committed and is ready to sign a protocol about Southeast Asia being a nuclear-free zone,” Mr Singh told reporters on the sidelines of the Asean talks with its top partners. Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan told an Asean meeting yesterday that “China will take concrete measures to support Southeast Asian countries' effort to establish a nuclear weapons-free zone.” India today proposed space technology co-operation with Southeast Asia saying space satellites were invaluable for monitoring and managing resources, disasters and weather. “The use of space remote sensing for sustainable development, food production and security has been tried and proven,” Mr Singh told his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on the last day of annual security talks. Mr Singh suggested that ideas for co-operation in space technology include education and training, use of remote sensing imageries, development of small satellite technology, and invitations to Southeast Asian space scientists to work in Indian space facilities. India and Asean can become partners in creating knowledge societies, Mr Singh said. “Our co-operation must be based on the economics of knowledge if it is to be truly enlightened,” he said. He said 100 training scholarships for Asean candidates in India will begin in a few months. India has also arranged for multi-level information technology courses for another 100 Asean candidates. hindustantimes.com