India, Pakistan to share missile tests information

Taking a major step towards confidence building, India and Pakistan today signed accords on pre-notification of ballistic missile tests and setting up of a communication link between Indian Coast Guard and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency.

The pacts were inked after External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri held talks here to review progress in the composite dialogue process involving eight outstanding issues, including Siachen and terrorism.

Singh and Kasuri held an hour-long delegation level talks and followed it with one-on-one meeting. "The talks took place in a very cordial atmosphere," Kasuri, flanked by Singh, told reporters. Neither of the ministers gave any details of what transpired at the talks with both saying they would meet the press tomorrow.

The agreement on pre-notification of missile tests was signed by Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Mohammad Khan in presence of the two foreign ministers.

The agreement entails that both countries provide each other advance notification before undertaking any surface-to-surface ballistic missile test. An understanding in this regard was reached between the two countries at the third round of nuclear confidence building measures talks held on August 5-6 in New Delhi.

India had presented a draft on pre-notification of the tests during the first round of expert level talks on nuclear confidence building measures in June 2004.

During the second round of the talks held in December last year, detailed discussions were held on the draft agreement on the issue and positions were brought closer. India handed over a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) on measures to reduce the risks of accidental or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons under the control of both countries at last round of talks on nuclear confidence building measures.

The memorandum of understanding on establishment of a communication link between the Coast Guard and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) was signed by Coast Guard Director General Vice-Admiral AK Singh and PMSA Director-General Rear Admiral Bakhtiar Mohsin.

The setting up of the link will enable the two maritime security forces on early exchange of information regarding apprehended fishermen who inadvertently stray into each other's territories.

Many fishermen from both sides stray into each other's territorial waters since the international maritime boundary line between India and Pakistan has not been ratified by the two countries.

Early exchange of information will lead to an early beginning of the process of providing consular access, nationality verification and repatriation. The link will also be useful in exchanging information about pollution incidents, search and rescue, pollution control.

The proposal for establishment of the link was first made by India in October 2003. In December 2004, both countries, inter alia, agreed to immediately intimate arrests of fishermen made by each country.