Reacting strongly to reports of North Korea conducting a nuclear test, India on Wednesday said it was a matter of “deep concern” and stressed its worry over proliferation links between North East Asia
Reacting strongly to reports of North Korea conducting a nuclear test, India on Wednesday said it was a matter of “deep concern” and stressed its worry over proliferation links between North East Asia and its neighbourhood, an apparent reference to Pakistan. India also called upon DPRK (North Korea) to refrain from such actions which adversely impact peace and stability in the region.
Clandestine nuclear commerce between North Korea and Pakistan are well-known, with reports for the past several years that Pakistan had illegally exported nuclear technology to North Korea while North Korea had, in turn, exported missile technology to Pakistan. Both countries also have deep links with China.
“We have seen reports that DPRK has conducted a nuclear test today. We are assessing the available information, including claims that this was a thermonuclear test. It is a matter of deep concern that DPRK has again acted in violation of its international commitments in this regard.
We call upon DPRK to refrain from such actions which adversely impact on peace and stability in the region. Our concerns about proliferation links between North East Asia and our neighbourhood are well-known,” MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup was quoted by news agencies as saying.
According to reports, North Korea obtained “many of the designs for gas centrifuges and much of the machinery” required to make highly-enriched uranium for nuclear weapons from Pakistan, which in return got ballistic-missile parts from North Korea.
Earlier on Wednesday, North Korea said it had carried out a “successful” hydrogen bomb test, a claim that — if true — massively raises the stakes over its nuclear programme.
“The republic’s first hydrogen bomb test has been successfully performed at 10 am (03.30 GMT),” North Korean state television announced, according to reports.
The development was immediately criticised by all major countries including the US, China and Japan, apart from international bodies such as the European Union and the UN. China too has been under considerable global pressure to distance itself with the secretive North Korean regime.
