POLmCA NUCLEAR
such states were to authorize nuclear exports to other states on less
stringent terms than those which they accept domestically as a
result of their
NPT
commÍtment. While Canada initiated bilateral
safeguards arrangements before the
IAEA
system came into being and
retains bilateral treaty commitments as a back-up to the internatio–
nal system, the main emphasis of Canadian policy has been direct–
ed towards strengthening the international system.
16. The reason fo·r this is evideqt. The non-proliferation of
nuclear weapons capability will depend upon the creation of gene–
ral international opinion as to what is legitimate and
illegitimat~
in the field of nuclear industry and trade. This will be achieved
far better through a system of international assurances freely enter–
ed into than through the imposition by one state on another of
conditions which might be viewed as impinging upon national.
sovereignty.
17. Canada certainly cannot force its political will upon others.
The observance of Treaty conditions on safeguards will depend upon
the good faith of our treaty partners rather than any Canadian
power to retaliate.
18. In the abscence of a fully satisfactory international system, how–
ever, Canada has considered
it
prudent to retain bilateral safe–
guards requirements. The Canadian government and public opio
nion were deeply distressed by the Government of India's decision
to develop a nuclear explosive device using plutonium from· a re–
search reactor donated as pan of Canada's aid program to India
(and which used as a moderator heavy water of United States
origin) .
19. The agreement between Canada and India had a clase provid–
ing fo-r peaceful purposes only. While the Indian Government
maintained that its nuclear explosive device would be used for pea–
ceful purposes, the fact is that
it
is in practice impossible to dist–
inguish the technology for such an instrument from a nuclear bombo
Without questioning possible civilian applications, Canadian pu–
blic opinion was skeptical that the civil benefits of a nuclear ex–
plosive program were such as to warrant such technology being
given a high research priority in the absence of any military
motivation. The international community recognized this problem
when drafting the
NPT
and excIuded all nuclear explosive devices
