BIRMINGHAM - - A strongly-worded statement condemning India for its recent nuclear tests has been issued by the G8. India broke its own 24-year moratorium on nuclear testing when it set off two series of explosions in the desert near the Pakistani border. The newly-appointed Hindu nationalist party announced the tests were conducted on the 11th and 13th of Maylast, which run counter to international treaties.

The G8 called said the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty are "cornerstones of the global non-proliferation regime and essential foundations for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament." The statement urges India and other states in the region to refrain from further tests and deployment of nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles. Pakistan was asked in particular to exercise "maximum restraint in the face of these tests and to adhere to international non-proliferation norms."