Pakistan and India resume dialogue on CBMs

Pakistan and India on Monday began a two-day expert level dialogue on nuclear and conventional confidence-building measures (CBMs) under the resumed dialogue process to avert risk of any incident due to misunderstanding.
The delegates of the two countries met here at the Foreign Office for the fifth round of expert level talks on conventional confidence building measures after a gap of four years. They will resume the sixth round of talks on nuclear confidence building measures on Tuesday.
According to Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit, the expert groups of the two countries had last met in New Delhi in October 2007. He said that the dialogues are being held as per understanding reached between the two countries in Foreign Secretary level talks in Islamabad in June 2011. Munawar Saeed Bhatti, Additional Secretary (UN & EC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led Pakistan delegation, while Indian side was led by Yashwant K Sinha, Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran).
Diplomatic sources said that besides other issues, the two-day talks focus on CBMs related to Jammu and Kashmir and missile tests along with steps to boost cross-LoC trade and travel.
As no official account was available on the talks held on Monday, sources in Foreign Office said that the two sides were expected to come with a joint statement on the conclusion of the two-day expert level talks on Tuesday.
Under an existing accord--Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack Against Nuclear Installations and Facilities--signed on December 31, 1988, the two nuclear neighbours exchange lists of their nuclear installations and facilities with the start of every new year to prohibit any attack by either side.
Under the agreement, lists are exchanged every year on January 1, which is known as one of the best CBMs between the two countries. Under this agreement, the two sides first had exchanged lists on January 1, 1992.
According to the agreement, both parties declared to "refrain from undertaking, encouraging or participating in, directly or indirectly, any action aimed at causing destruction of, or damage to, any nuclear installation or facility in the other country". The agreement defines "nuclear installation or facility" as a facility including nuclear power and research reactors, fuel fabrication, uranium enrichment, isotopes separation and reprocessing facilities.
According to sources, Pakistan has been pressing the issue of civil nuclear co-operation with India as well as a proposal to discuss measures to cope with a Fukushima-like situation. Pakistan and India had signed an agreement in February 2007 to reduce the risk of accidents arising from nuclear installations.
Munawar Saeed Bhatti will lead the expert group of Pakistan in the sixth round of nuclear CBMs on Tuesday, while D Bala Verma, Director General (Disarmament & International Security Affairs) Indian Ministry of External Affairs, would lead the Indian delegation in the talks.