India not invited to luncheon hosted by Biden for NAM members

India, a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement, was not invited to a luncheon meeting hosted by United States Vice President Joe Biden, where he professed that the grouping and his country had similar goals on nuclear security and non-proliferation.

Only those member states of the NAM which are part of the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty were invited to the luncheon hosted by Biden at his official residence on the margins of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC,, a senior White House official said.

Since India is not a signatory to the NPT, it was left out, the official told PTI. "The goals of the non-aligned movement and my country on the important issues of nuclear security, non-proliferation, as well as other issues have never been closer than they are today, in our view," Biden said addressing a group of leaders from NAM countries during the luncheon.

He said the Obama administration is committed to seeking peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.

"We believe that is ultimately an achievable goal, and that is our goal. We know that some of the countries here and elsewhere believe that we have not been moving fast enough or that we can do more," he said.

"Well, there is room to disagree on the exact approach of reducing nuclear weapons, but make no mistake about it this administration is intent on reducing and continuing to reduce our nuclear weapons," Biden observed.

The US vice president asserted that the US stands fully committed to supporting the promotion of peaceful benefits of nuclear power, in the context of NPT.

Among those who attended the luncheon were Alfredo Moreno Charme, foreign minister of Chile; Prince Muqrin bin Abdul al-Aziz Al Saud, President of the General Intelligence, Presidency of Saudi Arabia; Mourad Medelci, foreign minister of Algeria; Ahmed Aboulgheit, foreign minister of Egypt; Trirong Suwankiri, deputy prime minister of Thailand; Boediono, vice president of Indonesia; Najib Abdul Razak, prime minister of Malaysia; and South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, attended the meeting in place of the South African President.