India ready to negotiate nuclear test ban: Vajpayee

NEW DELHI, May 22 Kyodo - Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee told Russian President Boris Yeltsin on Thursday evening that New Delhi is prepared to hold talks on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. The PTI, quoting official sources, said Vajayee also made assurances that India would conduct no more nuclear tests, while explaining that the five underground nuclear tests conducted May 11 and 13 ''were undertaken for the nation's security and not to threaten any other country.'' Both India and Pakistan have refused to sign the CTBT. Yeltsin telephoned Vajpayee to talk about bilateral relations and his trip to India later this year, PTI said. Yeltsin will visit India on Dec. 6-8 to make up for a scheduled January visit that was canceled for health reasons, presidential spokesman Sergei Yastrzhembsky said last weekend. Yastrzhembsky said Yeltsin will urge India to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as well as the CTBT in his talks with Indian leaders.