Pakistan, India conclude nuclear CBMs talks on positive note

Senior Pakistani and Indian officials Tuesday concluded two-day talks on conventional and nuclear Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) in Islamabad on a positive note, a joint statement said. This was the first meeting of the Joint Working Group on nuclear and conventional CBMs in over four years though other officials including the two Foreign Secretaries have discussed these issues in recent meetings in Islamabad and New Delhi. "The talks were held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere," the joint statement issued at the conclusion of the talks said. "The two sides agreed to recommend to their Foreign Secretaries to extend the validity of the Agreement on Reducing the Risk from Accidents Relating to Nuclear Weapons for another five years," the statement said. Both sides will report the progress in talks to their respective Foreign Secretaries, the statement said. A 10-member Indian delegation took part in the talks as part of the bilateral Composite Dialogue process. Both sides discussed conventional CBMs and nuclear issues in the two-day talks. Pakistan delegation was led by Mr. Munwar Saeed Bhatti, Additional Secretary (UN&EC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. D.B. Venkatesh Varma, Joint Secretary (DISA), Ministry of External Affairs, led the Indian side, the joint statement said. The Foreign Secretaries of the two countries met in Islamabad in June 2011 where both sides agreed to re-convene the two expert groups. These expert groups last met in New Delhi in October 2007. India and Pakistan resumed their dialogue process early this year after a gap of over two years in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks that was blamed on Pakistan-based militant groups. Sources said that the expert-level discussions on conventional CBMs focused on, among other things, implementing the cross- Kashmir trade and travel CBMs that were unveiled during the talks between foreign ministers in July. The talks were held days before Pakistan and India will exchange the lists of their nuclear installations and facilities on Jan. 1 under "Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack Against Nuclear Installations and Facilities". This accord was signed on Dec. 31, 1988, and both countries exchange the list every year on Jan. 1. India and Pakistan resumed, in February this year, their dialogue process that was stalled after the Mumbai attacks on Nov. 26, 2008.