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Annan asks Pak not to compete with India

UN chief Kofi Annan today renewed his appeal to Pakistan not to compete with India by testing its own nuclear devices.

"I would hope that the efforts and appeals going to the Pakistani government not to match India's (tests) will be heeded," Annan told reporters, pointing out that he wrote last week to the governments in India and Pakistan to show restraint.

"Like everyone, I am extremely worried about the situation in South Asia," Annan said.

He said the nuclear arms race also involves the nuclear states to live up to their commitment not to use the weapons against non-nuclear states. The current declared nuclear states are the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain, all of which are permanent UN Security Council members.

Annan said he urged India to consider signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty now that it has completed its tests. The 1996 treaty bans all tests, but both India and Pakistan have not signed it as they compete for weapon superiority in South Asia.

Annan's senior aide on disarmament, Undersecretary-General Jayanthal Dhanapala, said yesterday that India had reassured the UN chief that the tests were completed and the assumption was that the country would not conduct further tests.

A total of 146 countries have signed the CTBT, but it is not yet enforced because legislatures in those countries have not ratified it.

Dhanapala said Annan urged India also to enter into the negotiations for a fissile material cut-off treaty that are being conducted in Geneva by the UN conference on disarmament. A ban on the production of fissile materials is part of general efforts towards nuclear disarmament.

UNI

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