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ISLAMABAD, March 11: Nuclear non-proliferation and an all-out ban on testing of nuclear weapons are high on the agenda for President Pervez Musharraf’s visit to Tokyo beginning on Tuesday, diplomatic sources said.
Discussions with the Japanese government on reducing tensions between nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India and Islamabad’s role in helping rebuild Afghanistan would also figure in Musharraf’s four-day visit, they said.
“Certainly the CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty) and nuclear non-proliferation have been the key issues and the matter will come under discussion during the (Musharraf’s) visit,” said a Japanese consular official in Karachi, requesting anonymity.
At previous bilateral summits Japan has repeatedly asked Pakistan to sign the CTBT.
Japan slapped economic sanctions on Pakistan after it carried out nuclear tests in May 1998 in retaliation for India’s nuclear tests. Tokyo lifted them in October last year as part of its efforts to support Islamabad, which is struggling to cope with a flood of refugees from the US-led war in Afghanistan.
The high military alert on the Pakistan-India border would also come under discussion during President Musharraf’s meeting with Japanese Premier Junichiro Koizumi, another official said.
Economic and trade issues are also likely to come up but Japan is not inclined to waive the whole or even part of its 5.9 billion dollars in loans to Pakistan.
“There is no possibility of wholly or partly waiving loans to Pakistan but talks on economic assistance to Pakistan will be made,” the consular official said.
Musharraf had called on Japan to boost its financial support, including a debt waiver, as his country struggles to cope with the economic fallout from the Sept 11 attacks on the United States and the war in Afghanistan.
Diplomats say debt rescheduling of Japanese loans under the Paris Club of creditor governments could be agreed.
“Yes rescheduling of Japanese loans under Paris Club might be negotiated during the meetings,” a Japanese diplomat said.—AFP
