India, Pak begin talks on nuclear CBMs

India, Pak begin talks on nuclear CBMs - NDTV.com - News on India, Pak begin talks on nuclear CBMs: "India and Pakistan have begun their two-day talks on nuclear confidence building measures. This is the third round of talks between the two countries. They had reached agreements on reducing nuclear conflict, sharing information on missile tests and military exercises in the previous two rounds.

The two sides are expected to review the progress made so far in these two rounds as well as discuss steps to carry them forward. But the Indo-US nuclear energy cooperation agreement may cast a shadow on the talks.

"Despite concern in Pakistan over Indo-US relationship and the fact that India is being acknowledged as a more responsible power, if they contribute directly to scuttle the talks it could affect Pakistan more adversely because India is the status quo state in terms on nuclear missiles and weapons," said Uday Bhaskar, defence analyst.

Avoiding a nuclear arms race and setting up a hotline among Foreign Ministry officials are high on the agenda and in the earlier two rounds of talks, Delhi and Islamabad were moving fast towards a formal accord on advance notification of missile tests. "If there is one area in which there could be an agreement, it would be about prior notification of missile tests," Bhaskar pointed out. In the earlier two rounds of talks, it was agreed to de-link Kashmir from the discussions, which made progress possible.

"Pakistan cannot try this invalid linkage between Kashmir and the nuclear issue which they had taken in the past," noted Bhaskar.

"So Kashmir, terrorism and infiltration will be dealt with on that particular plane and nuclear CBMs will move on their own track which is the most desirable arrangement," he added. The success of these talks are likely to impact discussions between both countries in the future, beginning with the next round on August 8 on conventional confidence building measures."