Thursday, July 9, 1998
Agenda for Frankfurt: CTBT and N-curbs
The United States has rejected India's contention that it needs a minimum credible nuclear deterrent against China, saying such a posture would be a "grave mistake" and go against Washington's non-proliferation objectives in South Asia. Washington's rebuff, taken with its negative response to New Delhi's broad suggestions that it may consider signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) if the high-tech sanctions are lifted, marks a hard-line position on the eve of talks between the US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott and India's special emissary Jaswant Singh.
Commerce Secretary slams curbs
India's view that US sanctions would be counter-productive has found support from unexpected quarters with US Commerce Secretary William Daley lamenting that sanctions had become a preferred policy option instead of being a measure of last resort. Imposing sanctions would have no meaning in the absence of multilateral cooperation, Daley warned while addressing a conference of the Bureau of Export Administration.
Pakistan may declare partial moratorium on debts
Pakistan's finance minister Sartaj Aziz has stated that in just three weeks Pakistan may be forced to declare a partial moratorium on its debt repayments if international lending institutions withhold money to punish Pakistan for its nuclear programme. Aziz said that at the end of this month Pakistan must pay roughly $ 800 million towards its $ 33 billion external debt.
|
|
