``We are gravely concerned and dismayed'' over the reports about the long term agreement on military cooperation between India and Russia as ``such acquisition of sophisticated weapons would destroy the balance of power in an already precarious and highly volatile security environment'', Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Tariq Altaf told media persons here. Stating that the new weaponisation was the `fulfillment of India's hegemonistic goals', Altaf said it `will pose a threat to Pakistan's security.'

The defence accord, signed during Russian premier Yevgeny Primakov's visit to India earlier this week, was firmed up in July this year and will extend by ten years until 2010 the existing partnership in research, development and joint production of sophisticated equipment besides incorporatingother defence areas.

He urged the international community particularly the major powers and the united nations to take note of this `dangerous development'.

``Indian focus on further accumulation of military power will reinforce its intransigence towards resolution of disputes and reduction of tensions in our region'' and the ``bilateral dialogue process between the two countries will immeasurably suffer,'' he said.

Altaf said India and Russia had embarked on a new phase of defence cooperation with the signing of a long term agreement on military technical cooperation up to the year 2010 and according to reports the agreement provides for massive purchase of arms by New Delhi involving the transfer of high-tech and sophisticated weaponry from Russia worth 16 billion US dollar over the next decade.

The Indian purchases would mean the induction of sophisticated new weapon systems in the region such as airbourne early warning systems as well as new generation tanks, SU-30 aircraft and nuclear poweredsubmarines, he said.

While stressing that South Asia as a region can hardly afford an arms race and further diversion of huge amount of funds which must consequently be sunk in the purchase of latest weaponry, the spokesman said ``Pakistan will be forced to appropriately augment its defence capabilities by all available means.''

He also criticised Russia for entering into such a deal with India saying as a member of the P-5 and G-8, Russia must realise its responsibility for avoidance of actions which `aggravate the tenuous security situation in this region where the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir is universally seen as a nuclear flashpoint''.

He also reminded the declaration by the P-5 countries including Russia at Geneva in June this year immediately after the nuclear tests by both India and Pakistan that the five permanent members of the Security Council would do all they could to facilitate a reduction of regional tensions and to foster and strengthen peace and security in South Asia.

``TheIndo-Russian military agreement directly violates the letter and spirit of the Geneva communique,'' Altaf said.

When asked to comment on the proposal of the Russian Prime Minister for a triangular strategic alliance between Russia, China and India, the Pakistani foreign office spokesman expressed his doubts about such an alliance taking place saying that, ``contemporary trends run against such alliances''.

Referring to media reports he asked, ``Where is this alliance when one (Russia) of the three protagonists (of the alliance) says he was misunderstood, the second (India) does not comment on it and the third (China) speaks against it''.

He also went on to ask, ``Who is this alliance against ?'' and said that if the intention is to create another pole against the unipolarity then, ``in our view China, at the pace in which it is developing, by the next century by itself would be able to constitute the pole''.