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EU readies for action against Pakistani tests

European Union foreign ministers today were set to slap a limited number of punitive measures on Pakistan as a sign of protest at its nuclear tests late last month.

Officials said the moves to be announced at the end of the EU meeting would be "broadly parallel" to actions announced in May against India.

The 15 nations were expected to put their plans for a new cooperation agreement with Pakistan on ice. They will press for a delay in World Bank and International Monetary Fund loans to Pakistan and also ask the European Commission to look at ways of limiting the country's access to EU-wide tariff concessions.

"We are being very careful to keep a perfect balance between what we do to the two countries," an EU diplomat commented.

He said, however, that the EU measures could hurt the Pakistani economy more than similar action taken against New Delhi.

But the idea was not to "create disproportionate harm" in Pakistan, he added.

The new EU-Pakistan cooperation agreement was initialled by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief in Brussels in April. Last month, EU foreign ministers said they would speed up its signature and implementation if Pakistan showed restraint after the Indian nuclear tests.

Officials say the signature of the treaty will probably be put off for a few weeks, but add that delaying the agreement indefinitely might actually make it more difficult for the EU to talk about issues like nuclear non-proliferation with Islamabad.

The EU statement will also call on New Delhi and Islamabad to engage in dialogue and urge both countries to sign agreements on nuclear non-proliferation.

UNI

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