NEW DELHI, Aug 8: India and Pakistan kept intact their fundamental differences on key conventional CBMs they discussed on Monday, but agreed to observe a 20-month old ceasefire along the Line of Control. After an expert-level meeting on conventional CBMs here, the second so far, the two sides declared that the talks “were held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere”.

A joint statement said the two sides “exchanged views on their respective security concepts.” They reaffirmed their commitment to uphold the ongoing ceasefire along the LOC and in Siachen and implement the 1991 agreement on air space violations in letter and spirit. This pact relates to military air violations, and not to civilian aircraft, sources explained.

There are reports that a private Indian commercial plane had strayed into Pakistani airspace earlier this month. The two sides decided to “upgrade the existing hotline between the two DGMOs by the end of September 2005” and not to develop any new posts and defence works along the LoC. This is a separate issue to the fencing of the LoC, which Pakistan has allowed India to do.

The two sides would also hold monthly flag meetings, between local commanders, at Kargil/ Olding, Uri/Chakothi, Naushera/ Sadabad and Jammu/ Sialkot sectors. They would enable speedy return of inadvertent ‘line’ crossers, and to work out a comprehensive framework to that end. The statement said they would periodically review the existing CBMs.

The two sides agreed to report the progress made in the present round of talks to the respective foreign secretaries, who will decide on the date and venue of the next expert-level meeting on conventional CBMs. The conventional CBMs came close on the heels of the nuclear CBMs under which the two countries have reached an understanding on the proposed agreement on pre-notification of flight testing of ballistic missiles.

“We are hopeful that the agreement and other understandings reached during this dialogue would contribute significantly to the peace process between India and Pakistan,” an Indian foreign ministry spokesman said.

Both sides have so far produced two conventional military CBMs in the last 15 years: prior notification of army exercises of a certain size near the border and a commitment by the two air forces not to violate each other’s airspace.

Indian sources say New Delhi would like Pakistan to move away from its quest for a “strategic restraint regime” and its proposals for “mutual and balanced force reductions”. The daily Indian Express said Islamabad had traditionally sought to promote the notion of “military parity” between the two nations. But Pakistani diplomats denied this was so.

India also suspects that parts of the proposals under the “strategic restraint regime” are aimed at altering India’s conventional military force disposition, the Express said.

“But the time has come for India and Pakistan to move away from these sterile debates of the past towards productive negotiations on conventional arms control,” it said.

“India and Pakistan are confronted with a stark military choice,” the Express said. “They could keep boxing around a military stalemate on their borders. Or they could take advantage of nuclear parity and liberate their armies from the burdens of territorial defence to deal better with the challenges of terrorism.”