Indian PM defends nuclear testsRADIO H/L The Indian Prime Minister has defended the recent nuclear tests and says India is committed to restraint in dealing with its neighbours

The Indian prime minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, has said India is committed to restraint in dealing with its neighbours.

He was speaking in parliament, which is meeting for the first time since the series of nuclear tests about two weeks ago that prompted widespread international criticism and led to economic sanctions by a number of countries.

The Prime Minister has said India is now capable of producing nuclear weapons to deter aggression from Pakistan and China, but told parliament India was only interested in self-defence and was committed to international disarmament.

Correspondents say the opposition parties are expected to accuse the government of using the tests for partisan political purposes.

The Canadian foreign minister, Lloyd Axworthy, has said India's decision to test a nuclear bomb meant that it had sacrificed any chance of getting a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service