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Agni test evokes mixed reactions from world community

Friday's test firing of Agni-3 missile by India evoked mixed reactions from the international community, with Britain and Australia saying it would send wrong signals within the region and exacerbate Indo-Pak tensions.

While Pakistan attacked India for conducting the test, Russia showed "understanding". China, a traditional friend of Pakistan, chose not to comment immediately.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: "I regret India's decision to test a ballistic missile, particularly in the light of current regional tension."

Straw said in a statement that the test would send "wrong signals within the region and beyond".

"I believe that restraint in developing possible nuclear weapon delivery systems is in the long-term interest of India and the region," he said.

"I continue to urge India and Pakistan to resolve their disputes through diplomatic means," he added.

Reacting strongly to the missile test, which has a range of 700 km, Pakistan said it threatened regional stability, specially during the prevailing tensions in the region and asked the international community to take note of this "Indian behaviour".

The Australian government expressed fears that the test could "exacerbate tension" in South Asia and urged Pakistan not to retaliate with renewed missile testing, media reports in Sydney said.

Russia, while expressing "understanding", said New Delhi had briefed Moscow about the test.

"We understand this. Russia was among the first countries to be briefed by India in advance on the forthcoming Agni test and the test itself was completely transparent under the international confidence-building measures," a Russian official in Moscow said.

Though China did not react immediately, its official news agency Xinhua carried the report of the test firing and the statement of the external affairs ministry that the test was not meant to send any message to anybody.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said his government regretted the missile test.

He said the fact that the Agni I missile could carry nuclear warheads was also a cause for concern.

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