"We have declared that India's deterrent is a minimum nuclear one intended for our self defence," Vajpayee said. Vajpayee responding to a question on how India with the nuclear power status can help to preserve and promote stability in the Asia Pacific region said, the fact that the country, as a nuclear state, has a long history of democracy and civil society `is a matter of some comfort in Asean.' On whether India will accede to the protocol of the Asean south-east Asia nuclear weapon free zone, Vajpayee said New Delhi has already conveyed its commitment to the status of such a zone. "We will be ready to respond positively if Asean were to seek a formalisation of our assurance in this regard.

Asked if the country still viewed China as its biggest security threat, he said India seeks good relations with all its neighbours including China."India and China are two of the world's largest and most populous countries linked by history and geography and now by the mammoth challenges of economic development that we face," he said. Vajpayee said `we have concerns' and will like China to address these in a meaningful manner for an early resolution. "We hope to continue our dialogue with China," he added.

On whether he saw any breakthrough in the near future on tensions between India and Pakistan, he said "We always desired a relationship of friendship and cooperation with Pakistan." "I reiterated this message to prime minister Nawaz Sharif when I met him in Colombo last month. We will seriously work towards this end."

Economically, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia have led Asean's engagement with India with significant trade and investment flows, whilst Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam were also important partners. Vajpayee said India sought to intensify its political affinities, economic interaction and strategic dialogue with every Asean country.

On whether India was satisfied with the direction and progress made within the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) and if India had any new plans to improve its confidence building mechanisms, Vajpayee said the country believed that ARF should remain an Asean driven dialogue mechanism for Asia Pacific region of which India is a part.

Given the region's diversity, he said confidence building and transparency were the most important means for developing stable relationships and creating an environment in which all outstanding issues could be resolved peacefully.

India shares land and maritime borders with many Asean countries but has no outstanding issues with any of them, he said. "We are participating fully in confidence building measures (CBM) being discussed within the ARF and are ready to negotiate further.

Vajpayee said building partnerships with Asean bilaterally and as a economic grouping figures prominently in his government's national agenda for governance. On India's relations with Myanmar, he said opinion in India supported a democratic, multi-party system there. "India consistently follows a policy of non-interference in internal affairs of other countries."