Indo-Asian News Service, Islamabad: Pakistan and India Tuesday moved closer to finalising an agreement on providing advance information to each other about missile tests, it was announced after two days of talks here between their foreign secretaries.
Building on existing contacts between the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan, the two sides agreed to promote regular contacts at the local level between military commanders and to explore further confidence-building measures (CBMs) along the international border and the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar led the Pakistan delegation at the talks while the Indian delegation was led by his counterpart Shyam Saran.
“They discussed and narrowed further their differences on the draft agreement on pre-notification of flight testing of ballistic missiles and agreed to work towards its early finalisation,” said a joint statement issued after the talks.
India and Pakistan test nuclear-capable ballistic missiles from time to time and have an informal mechanism of advance information about such tests. But they want a formal agreement in this regard.
“The talks were held in a frank, cordial and constructive atmosphere,” the statement said, noting that both sides had expressed their determination to carry the process forward.
The foreign secretaries will meet in New Delhi to review overall progress in the composite dialogue in July-August.
The foreign ministers and prime ministers of the two countries will meet during the SAARC summit in Dhaka in January. India's External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh will visit Islamabad in February for bilateral talks.
The two secretaries discussed peace and security including CBMs and reviewed the progress made during meetings of experts on nuclear and conventional CBMs.
“Both sides discussed the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and agreed to carry forward the process in the light of the joint statement issued after the meeting between Pakistan (President) Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh in New York on Sep 24, 2004,” the statement said.
The foreign secretaries reviewed the overall progress in the composite dialogue process that focuses on eight issues as well as preparations for the next round of talks.
The meeting on the other six subjects under the composite dialogue – demilitarisation of the Siachen glacier, the Wullar barrage/Tulbul navigation project, the disputed border in Sir Creek, terrorism and drug trafficking, economic cooperation and promotion of friendly exchanges in various fields – would be held on mutually agreed dates between April and June.
The two sides agreed that technical meetings, including the joint study group on trade matters headed by the commerce secretaries, India's Coast Guard and Pakistan's Maritime Security Agency, Pakistan Rangers and Border Security Force of India, expert level dialogue on nuclear and conventional CBMs, technical meeting on the bus service between Amritsar and Lahore, meeting between narcotic control authorities, would be held between January and June.
They also discussed issues related to fishermen apprehended by both sides, civilian prisoners and missing defence personnel.
It was agreed that immediate notification about arrest of Pakistani and Indian nationals
would be provided to the respective high commissions through the foreign ministries.
Consular access would be provided within three months of apprehension and repatriation would be done immediately after the completion of prison sentences and nationality verification.
A mechanism would be introduced for early repatriation, without sentencing, of inadvertent crossers and a similar mechanism would be established for early release of those under 16 apprehended by either side.
Saran also called on Prime Minister Shukat Aziz and Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri.
