Halt tests, weaponisation: P-5
The group of five nuclear powers, addressing what they term a "uniquely dangerous situation" have called on India and Pakistan to stop further nuclear tests, to refrain from weaponising and deploying a nuclear arsenal.
The permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, meeting in Geneva on Thursday, indicated that this was merely a preliminary examination of ways and means to halt what they see could be the start of a dangerous arms race.
Prior to the meeting, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had one-to-one meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov. China is chairing the P-5 meeting.
Though details of their meeting were not revealed, it is understood that Albright's main concern was to ensure that Russia's tilt towards India and China's clearly shown leaning towards Pakistan do not prevent the five powers from coming up with a strong joint statement, and a coordinated strategy to contain what is being officially viewed as a "dangerous arms race in the South Asian region".
A four page official statement, it is learnt, urge India and Pakistan to engage in direct talks to resolve their disputes.
The statement will categorically reject the demand by both India and Pakistan to be included in the list of nuclear powers.
This indicates that the P-5 have rejected France's proposal to offer India and Pakistan some form of enhanced nuclear status in return for an assurance of ending further tests. The United States took the lead in opposing the move, arguing that this would be tantamount to "rewarding" the two nations for having conducted the tests.
Before entering the meeting, Albright did, however, hold out some hints about security assurances that would be offered by P-5 to both India and Pakistan, in the event the two countries ended their ongoing nuclear programme. Such an offer, however, is expected to be conditional on both countries signing the NPT and CTBT -- a demand already rejected by India, while Pakistan has held to its line that it will sign only of India does so.
Indicating the possible thrust of the statement that will emerge, in ratified form, later in the day, British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said, "What is very important is that we should get a clear commitment from both nations not to take their tests forward, and also that they will neither create nor deploy nuclear weapons. We have to stop this arms race right now."
The overall thrust of the statement, said one envoy, is "to set out a program to regain control of the situation" arising out of the resent series of tests by both India and Pakistan.
The P-5 were represented by Albright for the United States, Tang for China, Primakov for Russia, Cook for Britain and Hubert Vedrine for France.
Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, fresh from visits to Islamabad and New Delhi, said in a statement to the P-5, which was read out to the media: "What is happening is a source of serious concern to all of us in the region, it should be made the focus of our sharp attention."
Kharrazi, however, told the media that after his talks with Indian and Pakistani leaders, he was confident the two nations were ready to resume a comprehensive dialogue.
An official spokesman meanwhile warned that the meeting was merely an exploratory one, that nothing concrete was expected to emerge from it, and that this was merely one of a series of meetings that could become necessary before the P-5 came up with a viable solution to the problem.
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