BRIDGING COMMUNICATION GAP: Indian Coast Guard Director-General Vice-Admiral Arun Kumar Singh (right) and Director-General of the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency Admiral Bakhtiar Mohsin sign a Memorandum of Understanding on establishment of a commu nication link in Islamabad on Monday. Watching them, among others, are External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh and his Pakistani counterpart, Khurshid Kasuri (second from left). — Photo: AP

ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan signed an agreement on Monday making it obligatory for either country to notify the other at least 72 hours before testing ballistic missiles within a 40-km radius of the International Boundary and the Line of Control (LoC).

The pact, which was reached after months of discussions, was signed here in the presence of External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh and his Pakistani counterpart, Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri. Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and his Pakistani counterpart, Riaz Mohammad Khan, signed the agreement after a 90-minute meeting of the Ministers in which the status of the composite dialogue was reviewed.

The pre-notification agreement entails the countries to provide each other notification before undertaking any surface-to-surface ballistic missile test. Both sides are now examining a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on measures to reduce the risks of accidental or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons."The talks went off in a very cordial atmosphere," Mr. Kasuri told reporters at the Foreign Office. All the eight subjects listed in the composite dialogue format, including Kashmir, came up for scrutiny.

Pakistan laid emphasis on quickening the pace of negotiations, particularly on settlement of the Kashmir dispute, without getting into specifics. The Indian response was that dialogue covered all outstanding issues, and New Delhi expected a conducive atmosphere to continue the process.

An MoU establishing communication links between the Coast Guard and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PSMA) was also signed. The link would facilitate early exchange of information on fishermen who inadvertently stray into each other's territory and also information on smuggling, pollution and search and rescue operations.

After the signing ceremonies, the Ministers flew to the Nathiagali hill station for an informal interaction over lunch hosted by Mr. Kasuri. "The idea is to enable the two Ministers to have a heart-to-heart in an idyllic setting," an official said.

Asking the media not to read much into the luncheon engagement, the Indian side recalled that the former Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who visited the hill resort four decades ago, described it as one of the most beautiful places on earth. Besides, this was the place where the former U.S. Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, stayed incognito when Washington was trying to establish secret contacts with Beijing.

The Ministers will meet again to mark the revival of the India-Pakistan Joint Commission, which last met in 1989.

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