Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] has categorically ruled out placing all of India's nuclear reactors under full scope safeguards and reaffirmed commitment on unilateral moratorium without predicting what 'distant future' holds.

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"No. We would like the world to move toward universal nuclear disarmament," he said in an interview to The Washington Post published on Thursday, when asked if India would ever put all its reactors under full scope safeguards.

Some critics of the Bush administration have said that the US should have insisted on India placing all its reactors under full scope safeguards for the civilian nuclear energy cooperation between the two countries. The prime minister said given the circumstances, India needed a strategic nuclear weapons programme.

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"In our neighbourhood, we have China, which is a nuclear power, and Pakistan that has developed its weapons through clandestine proliferation," Dr Singh said, adding that he could not imagine the circumstances that would require India to resume its nuclear testing, which many in India have said was the country's sovereign right.

"Our scientists tell me they need no further tests. As for the distant future, I cannot predict forever, but our commitment is to continue our unilateral moratorium," the prime minister said.

Describing the US as the 'pre-eminent' superpower in the world, Dr Singh said the lack of nuclear cooperation was the last remaining cobweb from our old relationship. "We can now sweep it aside. There are no other barriers to a more productive, more durable relationship with the United States. The potential is enormous for our two nations," he said.

• 'US may have undermined NPT by N-deal'

Dr Singh said it was in India's interest to have good relations with the United States as a very important partner in realising its development ambitions. He suggested that one way of helping with development and environmental protection was for the US Congress to approve legislative changes that clear the way for the US to provide civilian nuclear technology and supplies to India after a 32-year ban.

The historic nuclear cooperation deal, yet to be approved the Congress, was finalised during President George W Bush's [Images] visit to New Delhi [Images] last month. The prime minister maintained that India's relationship with the United States was not aimed at China.

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"We are not developing our relationship with the US at the cost of our relationship with China, which is our neighbour and with which our trade is growing at a handsome rate. President Bush had told me that this was a sensible way to proceed, and that America will remain engaged with China as well," he said.

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