WASHINGTON: The US has reacted cautiously to India’s test-firing of the nuclear capable Agni III missile stating that countries in the region should not take any action that destabilizes the balance in Asia.
It also urged all nations in Asia to work within the parameters of agreements on prior notification with respect to missile tests. "The Indians do have an active missile program. And typically what they do under their agreements with the Pakistani government is that there’s a prior notification. I can’t verify for you at this point that did take place in these circumstances," US State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said.
"What we have — what we urge all the governments in the region to do, India, Pakistan included, is to work within the constraints of the agreements that they have regarding notification and also not take any actions that would be destabilizing to the balance in the region," he said. Asked if the latest Indian test can be considered as an action that is destabilizing the region, the spokesman said "I’d have to check to see if this is something that is technically different or goes beyond the previous technical, demonstrated capabilities of the Indian government, the Indian military in launching the missile". "
I’m not aware that it does, but I’ll be happy to check for you," he said. Asked if India should be test-firing a nuclear capable missile at a time when Washington is trying to dismantle the nuclear program of Iran and North Korea, McCormack said "... it’s not the first time they’ve done this, to my knowledge, test-fired missiles. India is trying to enter into a different kind of relationship with the rest of the world vis-a-vis its nuclear program. We are in negotiations with the Indian government about that; currently ongoing," the Spokesman responded.
"They have, in certain international fora, demonstrated a certain level of responsibility with respect to preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction technology, including nuclear technology. So India certainly is trying to, I would say, enter into a different kind of relationship with the rest of the world than it has previously had on the nuclear issue," McCormack added.
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