The Hindu : International / India & World : Nuclear CBMs: Pakistan team arriving next week

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 18, 2004

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International - India & World

Nuclear CBMs: Pakistan team arriving next week

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, MAY 17. In a clear signal that it does not want the peace process to be affected by the change of Government in India, Pakistan today said that a high-level official delegation would leave for New Delhi on May 24 for talks on nuclear confidence building measures (CBMs), scheduled on May 26 and 27.

The Foreign Office spokesman, Masood Khan, told the weekly press briefing that Islamabad was ready to go ahead with the schedule of meetings between May and August.

He said that Pakistan and India needed to build upon the momentum initiated by the peace process and continue to engage with each other for the resolution of all outstanding disputes. "The decision (for peace talks between the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf) was not made on the spur of the moment, nor was it made in vacuum. It has a long history of evolution," he said.

The talks, he said, would deal with strategic stability, crisis management, nuclear risk reduction, nuclear stewardship of their assets and diplomacy. He said the two countries had already signed a memorandum of understanding at Lahore in February 1991.

Talks on nuclear CBMs are a follow-up to the roadmap for peace talks worked out in February. Nuclear and strategic experts from both sides would meet to suggest ways for reducing risks of accidental or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons and discuss concepts and doctrines with a view to elaborating measures for the CBMs in the nuclear and conventional fields as per the understanding in Lahore.

Right now the understanding between New Delhi and Islamabad on nuclear-related issues is confined to exchange of lists of installations and facilities on the first day of every year. Both sides will also notify each other in advance about ballistic missile tests and military exercises.

Under the roadmap for composite dialogue finalised in February, the Foreign Secretaries would meet in May/June this year for talks on peace and security, including CBMs and Jammu and Kashmir. The recommendations are expected to be finalised for consideration by the Foreign Secretaries.

Immediately after the February round of talks, Pakistan has claimed that it had made a suggestion for a nuclear restraint regime between the two countries. The claim made by Mr. Masood Khan was contrary to assertions made by both sides that no substantive issues were discussed during the talks. "In fact, there is a possibility that they would show interest in the subject because they do realise the dangers involved if there is no restraint regime between the two countries," Mr. Khan had claimed at a seminar. Emphasising the importance of such a regime, Mr. Khan said that accidental and unauthorised use of nuclear weapons presented a scary scenario for both the countries.

In the past, Pakistan had talked about its willingness for a strategic security regime with India, covering conventional and nuclear weapons. However, India had not shown any interest in the proposal on the ground that its defence-preparedness was not Pakistan-centric.

In response to a question at the briefing today, Mr. Khan said not only the people of the two countries and the Kashmiris — who want a just solution and a secure future — support the peace process but the international community has also endorsed these measures.

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Nuclear CBMs: Pakistan team arriving next week