Pak proposes partnership with India on nuclear safety

TIL Desk/World/Islamabad-Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry has proposed partnership with India on nuclear safety and security. Chaudhary said this on Thursday while addressing a conference on “Assessing South Asia’s Nuclear Security. Pakistan and India have an agreement on nuclear accidents and an expert group on nuclear confidence-building measures, though it is currently dormant because of the freeze in bilateral ties.

The two countries are also signatories to several international conventions, including those on nuclear safety, early notification of a nuclear accident, assistance in case of a nuclear accident or radiological emergency and physical protection of nuclear material and facilities. Under the conventions and instruments, the two countries could share best practices, experience and expertise, Chaudhry suggested.

The proposal comes from the realisation that despite problems in their ties, the two countries have a special responsibility to cooperate in the field of nuclear security. Suggesting cooperation on development of an independent regulatory framework, Chaudhry said Pakistan had extensive experience in maintaining an independent nuclear regulatory body.