South Asia is no longer a "nuclear flashpoint" as Islamabad and New Delhi have made "considerable progress" on nuclear confidence-building measures, Pakistan said on Wednesday.
"The fact is that we accepted the nuclear capability of both sides as a fact of strategic stability, and south Asia is not a nuclear flashpoint and we are moving to solidify that in terms of internal and external perceptions," said Additional Secretary in the Pakistan foreign office, Tariq Usman Haider, after holding talks with his Indian counterpart Meera Shankar on nuclear CBMs.
Endorsing Haider's comments, Shankar said at a joint press conference with him: "There has been constructive engagement on a range of issues of concern to both sides. We hope to carry on these talks in future at various levels, including at the experts level."
"We agree that it is extremely important for both countries to move forward in this area. We remain committed to the process," she said.