India-Pakistan Extend Deal On Cutting Risk Of Nuke Weapon Accidents

New Delhi, Feb 22, IRNA -- India and Pakistan Tuesday announced that they have extended the tenure of Reducing the Risk from Accidents Relating to Nuclear Weapons Agreement for another five years. Both countries decided to extend the validity of the agreement aimed at reducing risk from accidents related to nuclear weapons after it ended yesterday. The decision was in line with an understanding reached during the sixth round of bilateral expert-level talks on nuclear confidence-building measures held in Islamabad on December 27, 2011. 'In accordance with Article 8 of the Agreement between the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on Reducing the Risk from Accidents Relating to Nuclear Weapons of 21 February 2007, both countries have agreed to extend the Agreement for another period of five years,' the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement in New Delhi. The agreement had come into force on February 21, 2007, for an initial duration of five years. The existing validity was up to 20 February 2012. 'It aims at reducing the risk from accidents related to nuclear weapons,' the Pakistan Foreign Office said in a separate statement issued in Islamabad, pti reported. During the talks held in December, India and Pakistan decided to move forward on proposals to extend two key agreements related to pre-notification of ballistic missile tests and reducing the risk from accidents related to nuclear weapons. The two sides reviewed a range of existing nuclear and conventional CBMs and discussed proposals for additional measures in areas where the two countries could make forward movement. A proposal for an agreement to prevent 'incidents at sea', involving naval vessels of the two countries, also came up during those talks. The talks on nuclear and conventional CBMs were part of the peace process that resumed last year after a gap of over two years in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which were blamed on Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba./end