WMD control measures should not hinder access to technology for civil use: Fatemi

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Pakistan believes that control measures to curb the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) should not hinder the legitimate quest of developing countries to access and use nuclear materials and technologies for peaceful purposes, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi said.

Pakistan, therefore, advocates the need for striking a balance between the imperatives of security and development, Fatemi said in his concluding remarks at the regional seminar on UN Security Council Resolution 1540, held here on Wednesday.

Developing countries with the requisite capacities should be afforded an equal opportunity for participation in the governance of the international export control regime, he added.

For over four decades, he said, Pakistan has developed the necessary expertise and possesses the right qualifications to join the export control body.

“We have therefore sought membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as a mutually beneficial proposition and as a contribution to the larger goal of non-proliferation,” he said.

The group is reviewing the legal, technical, and political aspects of membership of non-NPT countries. Pakistan believes that the NSG should develop and decide on a credible, transparent and, non-discriminatory criteria so that membership applications of non-NPT states are treated at par.

In pursuing global non-proliferation objectives, and promoting regional as well as international security, he asserted, Pakistan is a strong, capable, and committed partner.

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