TONY Blair at the G8 Summit in Birmingham yesterday stepped up the pressure on the Indian Government to commit itself to no more nuclear testing, while at the same time trying to lessen the

tensions between India and the United States.

The Prime Minister made a 10-minute phone call to the Indian Prime Minister, Atal Bihari

Vajpayee, to spell out bluntly the dismay of the UK and the other G8 countries about the tests.

The Americans and the Japanese, who have already imposed sanctions, would be prepared to push their international colleagues to impose sanctions of their own but Mr Blair, along with the Russians and the French, would prefer a less macho approach.

Mr Blair's official press spokesman ruled out the likelihood of an eventual package of sanctions on the lines of the Americans', implying that they did not think they were the most effective way forward.

The Prime Minister is desperately trying to minimise the tension between America and India. At the same time, he is urging Pakistan to adopt a more cautious approach than it otherwise might.

Reports that Pakistan was expected to set off a nuclear explosion within the next few days in retaliation for India's nuclear testing this week have alarmed the leaders.

Mr Blair told the Indian premier that he expected India to demonstrate its commitment to non-

proliferation by immediately entering discussions with the intention of signing up to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Mr Vajpayee gave no commitment, but indicated during the phone call that he would be prepared to discuss signing the CTBT.

Earlier, President Clinton urged his colleagues to a blunt condemnation of India's tests. He said: ''From my point of view, I hope it will be as strong and unambiguous as possible. Nuclear testing is not the best way to guarantee India's security or greatness.''

Meantime, it emerged that prime minister Vajpayee, after this week's nuclear tests, bragged that India has a ''big bomb''. In an interview released yesterday, he said: ''India is now a nuclear weapons state. We have a big bomb now for which (the) necessary command and control system is also in place.''

He said India had only peaceful intentions for its nuclear programme: ''Ours will never be weapons of aggression,'' he added.

Observers have said that, with the tests, India was making a claim to enter the league of nuclear weapons states - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. Those countries receive two key benefits. They are permanent members of the UN Security Council, which allows them influence in every international issue; and they can keep their nuclear weapons.

By declaring itself a nuclear state, India threatens to unravel the global system of nuclear weapons controls, because all existing nuclear treaties are based on the assumption of the world having five declared nuclear states.

A transcript of Vajpayee's interview with India Today magazine was released by his office yesterday as US envoys were trying to persuade India's arch-enemy and neighbour, Pakistan, not to conduct its own nuclear tests.

Vajpayee's government has insisted it will never be the first to use nuclear weapons but needs a deterrent because its neighbours China and Pakistan - with whom it has fought a total of four wars - were nuclear powers.

''We live in a world where India is surrounded by nuclear weaponry,'' Vajpayee told India Today. ''The world community should appreciate the fact that India, the second-most populous country on earth, waited for five decades before taking this step.''

Nuclear expert David Albright said Vajpayee's reference to a ''command and control system'' proved that India had been pursuing weapons for years, despite its calls for global nuclear disarmament.

It took planning and time to develop means to move nuclear weapons on to missiles, install protections against enemy interference, and decide when the weapons would be used, said Albright, a researcher with the Institute for Science and International Security who has worked as a UN weapons inspector in Iraq.

Domestic reaction to three tests on Monday and two on Wednesday has been overwhelmingly positive. Vajpayee is hailed as a hero..

Indian stock markets were buoyant, with brokers buying back shares in the belief that sanctions will not be damaging.

Joining the club Page 11