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Russia against N-tests by India and Pakistan

Russia opposes any more nuclear tests by India and possible tests in Pakistan, presidential spokesman Sergei Yastrzhembsky has said.

"Russia continues to take an active part, together with its partners in the Group of Eight, in the strengthening of the nuclear testing prevention regime as much as possible,'' Yastrzhembsky said on Monday, according to the Itar-Tass news agency.

The G-8 industrial powers links Russia with the United States, Canada, Japan, Britain, France, Germany and Italy. Their leaders held their annual summit earlier this month in Birmingham, England.

Yastrzhembsky said Russian President Boris Yeltsin and US President Bill Clinton spoke by telephone after the Birmingham meeting about "joint coordination (of efforts) to prevent nuclear testing in Pakistan and new nuclear tests in India.''

Yeltsin spoke with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee by telephone on Thursday and discussed ways to "prevent such tests,'' Yastrzhembsky said.

India conducted five nuclear tests earlier this month and there are fears that Pakistan, its neighbour and rival, may conduct a test of its own.

Meanwhile, reports from Brussels said the European Union yesterday condemned the five nuclear tests India carried out this month and called for a halt to further testing.

The EU foreign ministers hinted at sanctions if India does not sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The EU ''will take all the necessary measures'' should India not ratify non-proliferation accords, they said in a statement.

UNI

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