AUCKLAND. Nov 10: Commonwealth leaders condemned French nuclear testing today in a hard-hitting statement that provoked a furious reaction by British Prime Minister John Major, reports Reuter.

With Britain dissenting, leaders of the 52-strong .group said the tests had caused widespread anger and urged their immediate cessation.

Major, who had earlier made a powerful defence of France's reasons for resuming testing in French Polynesia, was visibly angered by the communiqe.

T think that what they have got in their statement is factually inaccurate, intellectually inconsistent and unbalanced and I haven't signed up for that and they know that.

"I've made it perfectly clear. I think the view that has been expressed by our Commonwealth colleagues is just plain wrong — just plain wrong." he told reporters at the end of the summit's first

day of talks.

By contrast. Australian Foreign Minister Bareth Evans, whose country has spearheaded protests against the French tests, was pleased with the statement.

"Its exactly what we wanted." he told reporters.

Although the comfhunique mentioned no country by name, the leaders' anger was clearly directed at France -and to a lesser extent China

See also page 8

—for pressing on with nuclear testing in the teeth of almost universal opposition in the South Pacific.

"The overwhelming majority of heads of government condemned this continued nuclear testlrig which was inconsistent with the undertaking given by the nuclear weapons states to exercise utmost restraint so as not to affect the ongoing negotiations for the conclusion of the comprehensive test ban treaty in 1996.” the communique said.