LONDON, July 10: The British government has said that it is "cautious over contacts between British nuclear industry official and Indian and Pakistanis" and that it will "discourage" all contacts between British nuclear scientists and nuclear personnel and Indian and Pakistani scientists. Visits by Indians and Pakistanis to British nuclear facilities are also to be banned. These are part of a larger package of measures announced today by British Foreign Office Minister Tony Lloyd, to clamp-down on contacts between Britain and India and Pakistan, following the two countries testing of nuclear devices in May.The package includes tougher measures to restrict the export of nuclear related goods to India and Pakistan. Lloyd in a reply to a written House of Commons question said: "The recent actions of India and Pakistan fly in the face of the international consensus against nuclear testing. Both countries have demonstrated their lack of commitment to the principles of non-proliferation and damaged the stabilityof South Asia."
He added, "Under these regrettable circumstances it is right that we should deny the export of nuclear-related goods to India and Pakistan where they could assist their nuclear programmes."
The British government said its rules on the export of nuclear-related goods to India and Pakistan are to be tightened, in addition to the controls which already restrict such exports. Lloyd said that applications for other military exports and for dual-use technology or components to both countries would be looked at "with particular vigilance".
This will mean that export license applications for items listed on the ``Nuclear Suppliers Group Dual-Use List'' will be denied to nuclear related and end-users in India and Pakistan; other, unspecified goods intended for end-users in Indian or Pakistani, which it is felt might contribute to their nuclear programmes will also be covered by this clause.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
