India, Pak exchange ideas to promote nuke CBMs

Islamabad, Apr 25: Indian and Pakistani officials exchanged ideas to promote nuclear confidence building measures (CBMs) and finalise draft agreement on reducing risk of accidental use of nuclear weapons, in two-day talks, which began here today.

Additional Foreign Secretary Tariq Osman Hyder and his Indian counterpart Mr K C Singh led their respective delegations at the consultations, which will also focus on a draft agreement proposed by Pakistan on prevention of incidents at sea in order to ensure safety of navigation.

The proposal on finalising a Strategic Restrain-Regime (SRR) containing proposals to prevent missile and nuclear race and promote conflict resolution are also being discussed at the talks, to be followed by discussions on conventional CBMs on April 27.

This is the 4th round of talks on nuclear and conventional CBMs being held as part of the ongoing composite dialogue between the two countries.

In line with the understanding arrived at during the third round in August last year, the two countries have already signed an agreement for pre-notification of flight-testing of ballistic missiles and operationalised a hot line.

''We exchanged ideas on overall confidence building measures particularly the draft agreement on reducing risk of the accidental use of nuclear weapons,'' Mr Hyder told media here at the end of the first day of talks.

His Indian counterpart, Mr Singh said his country was following a step-by-step approach in talks with Pakistan on all the issues, including NCBMs.

New Delhi wanted to carry forward the talks process and this is the spirit, which brought Indian delegation to Pakistan for discussions, he added.

UNI