Indo-US talks on N-issues today

NEW DELHI, Nov 8 (PTI) — Experts from India and the United States America will meet here tomorrow to discuss nuclear-related issues including export controls.

The meeting assumes significance as it follows US President Bill Clinton’s announcement of waiver of some of the sanctions imposed on India soon after the Pokhran tests in May this year.

It also comes a fortnight ahead of the next round of crucial talks on nuclear and non-proliferation issues including the CTBT, between Prime Minister’s special envoy Jaswant Singh and US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott.

The team of US experts, led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State John Barker, includes representatives from Commerce, Customs, Energy, Defence and Foreign ministries.

The American team will fly to Islamabad at the end of its two-day parleys soon after the USA put pressure on Pakistan to reach an economic stabilisation accord with the International Monetary Fund before Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visits the USA next month.

This is the first occasion when experts from the two countries will have intensive parleys on the entire gamut of nuclear issues after the Pokhran tests.

The November 19 Jaswant-Talbott meeting slated to be held in Rome would be the first time they would be holding parleys after Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s pronouncement at the UN General Assembly session on September 24 that India was prepared to bring discussions with key interlocutors to a “successful conclusion so that entry of force of the CTBT is not delayed beyond September, 1999”, when a review conference is due.

Mr Vajpayee had, however, observed that 44 countries still needed to ratify the treaty before it can come in to force.

The Rome meeting would be held a fortnight before President Clinton meets Sharif in Washington on December 2.

Clinton is expected to offer a financial package if Pakistan was prepared to sign the CTBT and tighten export controls.

USA to respond positively to
remaining sanctions

WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (PTI) — The USA would respond "positively" to the remaining sanctions imposed on India and Pakistan if both countries positively meet American concerns, Assistant Secretary of State Karl F Inderfurth has said.

"We hope partial lifting of sanctions will demonstrate America’s positive response to efforts by India and Pakistan in respecting our nuclear non-proliferation and security concerns, testing and fissile material," Inderfurth told Indian and Pakistani correspondents here yesterday.

Referring to the partial lifting of US sanctions, Inderfurth said, "it is an effort to create a more positive environment for our ongoing discussions."

He said the steps taken by USA also demonstrate its willingness to "respond to positive actions by India and Pakistan towards Washington’s non-proliferation and security concerns.

He, however, said signing of Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was not that easy for the two countries.

"Debates have started in India and Pakistan on whether to sign the treaty or not even though the USA would like them to ratify the treaty soon," he said.

Stating that India and Pakistan had indicated that they would sign the CTBT by September 1999, he said "we will be encouraged by doing that as soon as possible."

Inderfurth said progress was visible in easing of tensions between India and Pakistan but both the nations should declare a moratorium on any further production of fissile material.

The USA has already done that, so have the UK, France and Russia. We would like to see a similar public statement by China, India and Pakistan," he added.

"We hope New Delhi and Islamabad will better define and more clearly articulate their strategic requirements for the future which include a strong element of restraint," he added.

A senior USA State Department official said Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and his Pakistani counterpart were committed to strengthen control on the export of nuclear missile technology.

He said both countries were engaged in foreign secretary-level talks on most important issues which included peace and security and Kashmir," the official said.

"Further progress is that the two countries will also participate in the fissile materials control treaty (FMCT) negotiations in Geneva when they resume in January," he said.

"We have been told that both Indian and Pakistani officials were going to participate in a constructive and positive spirit in these talks, and we welcome that," he said.

"This will be a long process which should be pursued," he said and added "then the USA will do whatever it can do to help in supporting the determination of the Prime Ministers of the two countries."

Meanwhile, it is reported that the USA will soon publish a new sanctions list under the Glenn Amendment to forbid exports to scores of entities in the name of non-proliferation.

The move, which comes a day after US President Bill Clinton decided to partially lift sanctions on India and Pakistan, is primarily aimed at India.

“The list will include a dozen companies from India and Pakistan, besides some government departments in the two countries”, a senior US official said.

“One can make the case that the entities list will serve to encourage permissible trade by identifying those areas which are prohibited,” he said.

Saying that the list will be “published very soon”, the official said “in fact, our business community, which remains very interested in working in the region, has asked us to have the list published so that they will know what entities they can and cannot do business with”.

Indo-Pak talks on Sir Creek today

NEW DELHI, Nov 8 (PTI) — India and Pakistan will discuss the long-pending Sir Creek maritime boundary dispute in the Rann of Kutch when the two sides resume the second phase of the composite dialogue process tomorrow.

This comes close on the heels of the failure of the two neighbours on finding an amicable solution to the Tulbul navigation project and Siachen issues on November 5 and 6, respectively.

While the Indian team would be led by the Surveyor-General, the Pakistani side will be headed by the Additional Defence Secretary.

Talks on Sir Creek boundary dispute have been going on between India and Pakistan since 1965.

While New Delhi has been contending that the boundary should be an average notional mid channel in the Creek where the contours change due to shifting tidal movement, Pakistan has been insisting that the boundary should start from the southern edge of the Creek in a bid to gain more territory, informed sources said.

They said in 1991, the two countries were close to arriving at an understanding on the issue but the Pakistani side backtracked.