India reiterated its concerns over proliferation links between North-East Asia and its neighbourhood in connection with North Korea’s claims over having successfully tested a Hydrogen bomb. Without explicitly naming Pakistan, the Indian government has said, “Our concerns about proliferation links between North-East Asia and our neighbourhood are well-known.”
The Ministry of External Affairs has said that it is a matter of deep concern that the Democratic Republic of North Korea has once again acted in violation of its international commitments in this regard, according to a report in The Times of India.
Similar concerns had been expressed by the Indian government after North Korea’s last nuclear test on February 13, when Pyongyang was supposed to have used uranium instead of plutonium to carry out the test.
Report in The Times of IndiaIndia saw a direct link with Pakistan as officials said use of enriched uranium, which is easier to smuggle, confirmed proliferation linkages with Pakistan. India has always held that Pakistan had transferred the technology for enriching uranium to weapon grade in exchange for the knowhow for missile development from the communist dictatorship as part of a deal negotiated by Benazir Bhutto and Kim Jong-il.
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