India has no plans to hold peace talks with its nuclear-armed rival Pakistan in the near future, Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes was quoted today as saying (see GSN, May 16).

“When we reach the time for talks (they) will be held, but it is not very close,” Fernandes said, according to the Press Trust of India.

Instead of formal talks, India and Pakistan have focused on confidence-building measures, Fernandes said.  Such measures implemented so far include landing rights for each other’s civilian aircraft and a restoration of ambassadors (Associated Press/Yahoo!News, May 23).

Meanwhile, Pakistani Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokar yesterday said his country was willing to discuss formally banning all nuclear tests. 

The two countries are already observing a voluntary testing moratorium, Khokar said during a session of the U.N. Disarmament Conference in Geneva.  “This could be formalized,” he said.

Pakistan is also prepared to discuss several other measures, including the nondeployment of nuclear weapons and a formal agreement on advance notification of ballistic missile tests, Khokar said. 

“It is … important for both India and Pakistan to engage in serious discussions for nuclear and strategic stability in our region,” he said (Reuters/Financial Times, May 23).

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