ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan on Tuesday deliberated on the draft agreement for measures to reduce the risks of accidental or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons.

On the opening day of the three-day talks here on nuclear and conventional confidence-building measures (CBMs), the focus was on the draft agreement India gave in August last, at the last round on nuclear risk reduction mechanism.

K.C. Singh, Additional Secretary for International Organisations, led the Indian delegation and Tariq Osman Hyder, Additional Secretary (U.N.), headed the Pakistan side.

According to a senior official, both sides agreed in principle to device a mechanism for nuclear risk reduction. "The Indian proposal is in accordance with the understanding between the two sides in February 1999."

Several legal and logistical issues needed to be thrashed out before "we could ink the pact on nuclear risk reduction. We are going in the right direction," he said.

The talks would continue on Wednesday. On the final day the two sides would focus attention on conventional CBMs. At the Tuesday's meeting both sides exchanged some proposals. Separately, Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar, Pakistan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said the CBMs were important as they provided the foundation for sustaining the composite dialogue.

Talking to the Indian delegation, which called on him, he said both countries should avoid an arms race, thus freeing up resources for socio-economic development.

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