Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani will ask for “non-discriminatory access” to nuclear technology for peaceful uses, including power generation, at the Second Nuclear Security Summit to be held in Seoul on March 26-27.
He is also scheduled to meet US President Barack Obama at the sidelines of the summit on March 27 to discuss bilateral relations, which are currently marred by serious tensions.
Gilani will attend the summit along with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Sherry Rehman, who arrived in Islamabad a couple of days ago to accompany Gilani to the summit where he would hold the important meeting with Obama.
“The two leaders will discuss ways to improve Pakistan-US ties that got worse in the wake of NATO air strikes on Pakistani border posts at Salala that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers,” said a Pakistani diplomat seeking anonymity.
As the leaders of Pakistan and US meet at Seoul, Pakistan’s parliament will start debate on recommendations given by a parliamentary committee on relations with Washington.
Among its recommendations, the Parliamentary Committee on National Security suggested the government to impose a complete ban on US drone strikes in the tribal belt and seek an unconditional apology from the US over Salala checkpost attacks, as preconditions to restore NATO supply routes to Afghanistan.
The prime minister will be among the lead speakers at an inaugural dinner being hosted by the South Korean president for the heads of states and governments participating in the meet, according to a Foreign Office (FO) statement issued on Friday.
The First Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington in April 2010. The Seoul Summit is a follow-up of the Washington Summit. Leaders from 53 countries and heads of four international organisations would attend the meeting. The summit is aimed at further promoting nuclear security through national actions and international cooperation on a voluntary basis.
Gilani will apprise the world leaders on the measures implemented by Pakistan to strengthen the safety and security of nuclear installations and materials. “The prime minister will make a strong case for non-discriminatory access to nuclear technology for peaceful uses, including nuclear power generation, to meet our growing energy and development needs,” the FO statement said.
“Pakistan has four-decade long experience of safe and secure operation of nuclear power plants, a highly trained manpower and a well-established safety and security culture. Pakistan fully qualifies to become a member of the Nuclear Supplier’s Group and other export control regimes on non-discriminatory basis,” the statement said.
On the sidelines of the Nuclear Summit, the prime minister will hold meetings with the South Korean premier and other world leaders. He will also meet the CEOs (chief executive officers) of major South Korean corporations and media representatives.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the White House said the meeting, which will follow a nuclear security summit, “will be an opportunity for the United States and Pakistan to continue high-level consultations on areas of mutual interest”.
yes it is true that pak US relations are getting tough due to salala mishep and drone strikes in sws and breakdown of NATO supply but pakistan has to be diplomatic in the sense that they shd not bow before US but have a firm stand in UN meeting for safe nuclear assets and they shd demand security from drones then there is hope that pakistan can have frindly relations but ofcorse us is highly interstd in creating fuss in the region so they have yto think what is pakistan now capable of they have not the capability to defeat taliban but pakistan has got 70 percnt success against terrrorist alone so dare to think shit about the PAKISTAN
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