With the NSG meeting for a waiver to India for nuclear commerce underway in Vienna, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee issued a statement in New Delhi saying that New Delhi will work with the international community to advance the "common objective" of non-proliferation.

He assured the world community that India will not be a source of proliferation of sensitive technologies, including enrichment and reprocessing transfers.

Mukherjee noted that New Delhi remained committed to a voluntary, unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing.

"We do not subscribe to any arms race, including nuclear arms race. We have always tempered the exercise of our strategic autonomy with a sense of global responsibility. We affirm our policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons".

"We stand for the strengthening of the non-proliferation regime," Mukherjee said.

Mukherjee's remarks come in the backdrop of some members of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) expressing concern over giving India a waiver for conducting nuclear trade.

Assuring the international community about working for a non-proliferation regime, the Minister said New Delhi is "interested in participating as a supplier nation, particularly for Thorium-based fuel and in establishment of international fuel banks, which also benefit India."

Mukherjee's statement is being seen as an attempt to assuage publicly concerns of certain NSG members. It came soon after Indian officials led by Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon met representatives of 'sceptic' countries of NSG in Vienna.

Mukherjee said the country's civil nuclear initiative will strengthen the international non-proliferation regime and ‘India believes that the opening of full civil nuclear cooperation will be good for India and for the world.’

The Minister was of the view that such cooperation will have a ‘profound positive’ impact on global energy security and international efforts to combat energy security.

Mukherjee said India is approaching the NSG for a dialogue with a ‘spirit of cooperation’ that allows for an ongoing frank exchange of views on subjects of mutual interest and concern.

"Such a dialogue will strengthen our relationship in the years to come," he said.

Noting that India has an impeccable non-proliferation record, Mukherjee said New Delhi has taken necessary steps to secure nuclear materials and technology through comprehensive export control legislation. It is committed to adhering to Missile Technology Control Regime and NSG guidelines, he said.

He noted that India places a great value on the role played by the IAEA safeguards system and it looks forward to working with the atomic agency in implementing the India specific safeguards agreement concluded with it.