July 15, 2006	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 18, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, July 14: The chairman of the 34-member Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Ambassador Manuel Viturro of Spain, on Friday appreciated Pakistan’s commitment to non-proliferation and steps taken by it in this regard.

He conveyed this appreciation during delegation-level talks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the day.

Ambassador Viturro, who is leading a seven-member team, said discussions with the Pakistan delegation, led by Additional Secretary (UN) Tariq Osman Hyder, constituted a meaningful and positive basis for further institutionalised interaction.

“He recalled that Pakistan’s export control legislation and its control lists, which inter alia incorporated the MTCR export control lists, had been circulated at Pakistan’s request to all MTCR partners,” a foreign office statement said.

According to the statement, the MTCR chairman outlined the working and procedures of the MTCR and stated that it constituted an important international arrangement, which set significant non-proliferation standards and contributed to global peace and security.

Reiterating Islamabad’s commitment to the objectives of global non-proliferation of WMD, Mr Hyder recounted Pakistan’s Export Control on Goods, Technologies, Material and Equipment related to Nuclear and Biological Weapons and their Delivery Systems Act 2004 and that the Control Lists pursuant to this Act which were promulgated on Oct 19, 2005, encompassed the lists and scope of export control maintained by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Australia Group(AG) and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

He mentioned Pakistan’s export control implementation and cooperation with a number of countries, which included some MTCR partners, for the purpose of sharing procedures and best practices in this regard.

Pakistan is not an MTCR member but it has been engaged with it and this was the third meeting between the two since 2003.—Q.A.