India, Pakistan set to exchange lists of nuclear installation
(Updated at 2130 PST)
By Zia Iqbal Shahid
BRUSSELS: Only two days prior to Indian Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee’s arrival at Islamabad, India and Pakistan will carry out on Thursday a New Year's Day tradition of exchanging lists of nuclear facilities under an agreement that prohibits India and Pakistan attacking each other's nuclear installations and facilities.
Western diplomats here regard the exchange of nuclear installation and facilities as the latest move to dampen war fever in the region. They say that the exchange of lists of nuclear installations epitomizes a renewal of the agreement not to attack each others nuclear installations
Exchange of lists of nuclear installations between India and Pakistan would be carried out on the first day of the New Year through diplomatic channels, simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad. Under the Agreement, the two countries are to inform each other on 1 January of every calendar year of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered by the Agreement. The first such exchange of lists took place on 1 January 1992. This Agreement was signed on 31 December 1988, and entered into force on 27 January 1991.
The exchange of lists is taking a greater importance this year as top Indian and Pakistani leaders are set to meet in the SAARC summit in Islamabad. Western diplomats are encouraging Indian and Pakistani leaders to seize this opportunity by initiating structured bilateral dialogue.
Reluctant to admit that the US and the EU are playing the role of mediators between India and Pakistan, the Western diplomats say the important players in the world politics would continue facilitating peace process in India and Pakistan. “The exchange of the lists of nuclear installations between India and Pakistan keeps the hope alive that both the nuclear rivals in South Asia would move forward in the direction of declaring the region as a nuclear free zoneâ€, a diplomat said.
http://jang.com.pk/thenews/dec2003-daily/31-12-2003/main/update.shtml#52
(Updated at 2130 PST)
By Zia Iqbal Shahid
BRUSSELS: Only two days prior to Indian Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee’s arrival at Islamabad, India and Pakistan will carry out on Thursday a New Year's Day tradition of exchanging lists of nuclear facilities under an agreement that prohibits India and Pakistan attacking each other's nuclear installations and facilities.
Western diplomats here regard the exchange of nuclear installation and facilities as the latest move to dampen war fever in the region. They say that the exchange of lists of nuclear installations epitomizes a renewal of the agreement not to attack each others nuclear installations
Exchange of lists of nuclear installations between India and Pakistan would be carried out on the first day of the New Year through diplomatic channels, simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad. Under the Agreement, the two countries are to inform each other on 1 January of every calendar year of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered by the Agreement. The first such exchange of lists took place on 1 January 1992. This Agreement was signed on 31 December 1988, and entered into force on 27 January 1991.
The exchange of lists is taking a greater importance this year as top Indian and Pakistani leaders are set to meet in the SAARC summit in Islamabad. Western diplomats are encouraging Indian and Pakistani leaders to seize this opportunity by initiating structured bilateral dialogue.
Reluctant to admit that the US and the EU are playing the role of mediators between India and Pakistan, the Western diplomats say the important players in the world politics would continue facilitating peace process in India and Pakistan. “The exchange of the lists of nuclear installations between India and Pakistan keeps the hope alive that both the nuclear rivals in South Asia would move forward in the direction of declaring the region as a nuclear free zoneâ€, a diplomat said.
http://jang.com.pk/thenews/dec2003-daily/31-12-2003/main/update.shtml#52