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Yeltsin says India has let down Russia

Russian President Boris Yeltsin says India "let us down'' by staging underground nuclear tests that have drawn international condemnation.

Russian criticism of India is extremely rare. Moscow has had close ties with New Delhi for decades, and has been one of the country's leading arms suppliers. The two sides have even been talking about jointly building a civilian nuclear power plant in India.

But Yeltsin, in a speech delivered at Russia's foreign ministry, added his voice to the list of critics who have objected to India's nuclear tests, conducted yesterday in the country's western desert.

"India has let us down with its explosion,'' Yeltsin was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. But, he added, "I think that by working in a diplomatic way, and by visits, we must secure a turnaround.''

In contrast with the Western reaction, he refrained from issuing any threat to India.

Later, the president's spokesman, Sergei Yastrzhembsky, elaboraing on Yeltsin's statement, told the press that such steps as taken by India destroy the essence of international agreement on test bans. Russia is not at all amused by such action and hopes that India will join all comprehensive test ban treaties prohibiting any type of nuclear tests, he said.

Russia's atomic energy ministry also expressed regret at the Indian tests, which could be "the start of a new spiral in the development of nuclear weapons for the so-called threshold countries,'' said Viktor Mikhailov, the ministry's first deputy.

However, Russia still hopes to win a contract to help India build a civilian power plant, Mikhailov added.

"Our contacts (with India) have very deep roots,'' Mikhailov was quoted as saying by the Itar-TASS news agency. "The world market for the construction of nuclear power stations is very stiff and I hope the leadership of the country will reserve this market for us.''

UNI

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