Pakistan wants global access to nuclear, military technology

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan wants global access to nuclear and military technology and a standardised criteria for access to nuclear energy and a regional arms control agreement. This was stated by Dr Maria Sultan, South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) director general, while addressing ‘Pak-Russia Nuclear Dialogue’ organised by SASSI in collaboration with Centre for Energy and Security Studies (CENESS).

She said global nuclear industry was going through a mega transformation so there was a need to make steps in order to strengthen multilateral export control regime. For this, key nuclear supplier states inside and outside of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should be included in this new nuclear order. “We need to work with international system and with the new alliance to make positive progress for new nuclear architecture,” she said. “With the new possibilities of cooperation we hope great opportunities for the two countries, Russia and Pakistan, are likely to arise,” she said, adding that building up of information space in public domain and opinion towards nuclear cooperation is the need of the hour and the greater the collaboration is the greater peace will be in the region and will be a big step towards a new understanding on this issue.

CENESS Director Anton Khlopkov said, “This meeting is a start of regular exchange of Russian and Pakistani scholars and it will focus on developing strategic dialogue on the nuclear related issues between the two countries, including nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear energy”. He highlighted SASSI’s work and contribution towards building a stronger relationship between Pakistan and Russia.

Dr Peter Topychkanov, senior research fellow of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, underlined, “It is an appropriate time for the expert communities of Russia and Pakistan to establish a permanent dialogue on security issues and to find the points of common understanding in the fields of nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. This dialogue will create a firm basis for further development of the relations between the two countries in political, economic and security spheres.” More