NEWS

Nuclear CBM talks with Pak on May 25, 26

Source:PTI
April 21, 2004 20:36 IST

India on Wednesday agreed to Pakistan's proposal for expert-level talks on nuclear confidence building measures on May 25 and 26.

New Delhi also conveyed to Islamabad its readiness to have a meeting of the Committee on Drug trafficking and Smuggling on June 15 and 16.

Dates for both the meetings were proposed by Pakistan in pursuance to the meeting of foreign secretaries of the two countries in Islamabad on February 18.

"We have today conveyed our acceptance of these dates," External Affairs Ministry spokesman said.

The venue for these meetings will be worked out by the two sides, official sources said.

At the Islamabad meeting, Foreign Secretary Shashank and his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Khokhar had issued a joint statement charting out a road map for the composite dialogue on all bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.

It was then agreed that expert-level talks on nuclear CBMs would be held in the latter half of May and that the Committee on Drug Trafficking and Smuggling would meet in June.

The two sides had then agreed that the foreign secretaries would meet in May/June this year for talks on peace and security including CBMs and J&K. There is no official word on the dates for these meetings.

It was decided in February that talks on Siachen, Tulbul Navigation project, Sir Creek, terrorism and drug trafficking, economic and commercial cooperation and promotion of friendly exchanges in various fields would be held at agreed levels in July.

Foreign ministers of the two countries would meet in August to review overall progress. This would be preceded by a one day meeting of the foreign secretaries.

New Delhi's announcement comes close on the heels of Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali stating he would visit India in August as the chairman of SAARC to discuss progress on the decisions taken during the SAARC summit in Islamabad.

India would be the first destination among SAARC nations on Jamali's itinerary.

Source: PTI
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