These proposals are to be discussed in an international conference to be sponsored by the Government of Norway in February. The four statesmen also draw attention to the growing global interest in development of nuclear energy and suggest development of an international system to manage the risks of the nuclear cycle. They support an international nuclear enrichment programme under a strengthened IAEA to provide reliable supplies of nuclear fuel reserves. They plead that other nuclear weapon powers should join, after US and Russia agree to undertake further substantial reduction beyond those already agreed to in the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty and proceed with such reductions. They stress strongly the need for a clear statement of the ultimate goal of a nuclear weapon free world.

This total reversal in the nuclear strategy of these American statesmen may be received with cynicism by some members of our strategic establishment. There may be paranoid arguments that the American thesis advanced by these former US hawks are part of an elaborate conspiracy directed against India and therefore they should straightaway be rejected and India should assert its right to conduct nuclear weapon tests if necessary and continue to build its weapon grade fissile material stockpile. Any interest in the US proposals or attendance at the Norway conference may be denounced as bowing to US imperialist pressure though China and Russia are bound to take keen interest in the proposals.

There is no difficulty in our being indifferent to these proposals and the developments they may lead to and take the line that we may deal with them as the proposals mature and come up for formal intergovernmental discussions. It would be a pity to adopt that line.

... contd.