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India, Pakistan to Establish Nuclear “Hot Line” By Mike Nartker WASHINGTON — India and Pakistan on Sunday agreed to establish a communications link between their respective foreign secretaries to help “reduce risks relevant to nuclear issues” as part of a set of nuclear confidence-building measures (see GSN, June 18). The decision to establish a “dedicated and secure hot line” was reached during expert-level talks held Saturday and Sunday in New Delhi, which were described by the Indian Foreign Ministry as having been held “in a cordial and constructive atmosphere.” The two countries also agreed to improve an existing hot line between their respective directors-general of military operations, according to a joint Indian-Pakistani statement released at the conclusion of the talks. In addition, India and Pakistan agreed to maintain their respective nuclear test moratoriums, except in the event of “extraordinary events” jeopardizing national security. Both countries last conducted nuclear weapons tests in 1998. The two countries further agreed to develop a formal agreement on advance notification of ballistic missile flight tests. To that end, a draft document presented by the Indian delegation was discussed during last weekend’s talks, according to the joint statement. Within the past month, Pakistan has conducted two tests of its nuclear-capable Ghauri ballistic missile, and reports indicate the country is expected to test a longer-range Ghauri variant by the end of June. Indian Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Saturday that India eventually plans to conduct a test of its nuclear-capable, long-range Agni 3 missile. India and Pakistan also announced Sunday plans to continue bilateral discussions to implement a memorandum of understanding on nuclear risk reduction measures reached during a 1999 meeting in the Pakistani city of Lahore. Such measures include an agreement by both countries to establish means to immediately inform the other in the event of “any accidental, unauthorized or unexplained incident that could create the risk of a fallout with adverse consequences for both sides, or an outbreak of a nuclear war between the two countries,” according to the joint statement. Last weekend’s talks had originally been scheduled for May, but were delayed by the results of India’s parliamentary elections, which saw the ousting of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and a transition to a new government. The talks are part of a peace dialogue launched earlier this year with the hope of resolving a number of issues between the two countries, including the disputed region of Kashmir. According to some experts, Pakistan has recently expressed a willingness to separate resolving the Kashmir dispute from implementing nuclear risk reduction measures (see GSN, May 24). The next step in the dialogue is a meeting between the Indian and Pakistani foreign secretaries set to be held June 27-28. According to reports, the two sides are expected to discuss the Kashmir dispute at the talks. Ultimately, Pakistan hopes the dialogue could result in a meeting between President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, according to the Associated Press. “We are making preparations. … If they culminate in a summit, it will be a good thing,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan was quoted by AP as saying.
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