"A further erosion of the non-profileration regime is not in our interest. We do not suport the emergence of another nuclear weapons state," said Singh in a joint press conference with Blair.

He insisted that Pyongyang's nuclear test could not be compared with India's decision to go nuclear, when it undertook a series of tit-for-tat tests with long-term foe Pakistan.

"There is no parallel between India's policies and what is happening in North Korea," he said.

Blair meanwhile called for the resumption of so-called six-party talks on North Korea, involving China, Russia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan and the United States.

"It's important that we get back into the six-party talks that offer the best way of ensuring that stability is returned to the region," he said.

In the latest developments after Pyongyang's test Monday, Japan urged the international community Tuesday to retaliate with sanctions on Pyongyang, as nations across Asia and the wider world considered what to do next.

South Korea warned its military was remaining on high alert and even close ally China refused to rule out a harder line on the North after it carried out the test despite calls to abandon its weapons programme.

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