20 January 2003 00:00
RUSSIAN DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS GEORGY MAMEDOV STATEMENT TO THE RUSSIAN MEDIA, MOSCOW, JANUARY 16, 2003
Deputy Minister Mamedov: The first meeting of the Russian-Pakistani Consultative Group for Strategic Stability has just concluded. Present in Moscow is a Pakistani delegation led by Mr. Tariq Osman Hyder, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. It consists also of high-ranking representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the intelligence community of Pakistan. From the Russian side also the Ministry of Defense and the Foreign Intelligence Service are represented. These were our first consultations in such a format. I would like to note in passing that we had already held similar meetings with our Indian colleagues.
The meeting was held by way of preparations for the upcoming talks at the highest level between Russia and Pakistan. Besides, we used this opportunity to discuss the most acute international problems, such as the situation around Iraq and around the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, all the more so as Pakistan is currently a member of the United Nations Security Council. The consultations were also dedicated to questions of disarmament, nonproliferation and regional stability.
The sides have stated that there are common elements in the basic approaches of Pakistan and Russia toward the basic questions of international life. We stand for the primacy of international law, for strict observance of the Charter of the United Nations and for a resolution even of the tensest conflict situations by peaceful means, via diplomacy. The importance of existing arms control agreements was also underscored. Although, as you know, with respect to a number of agreements Pakistan has a peculiar stand, and it is not a party to them.
There was particularly accentuated on the Russian side the importance of the global problem of the fight against international terrorism. It is well known that Russia and Pakistan are both in a zone of vigorous activity of terrorist organizations, this being due to the situation in Afghanistan as well as the fact that on the territory of Afghanistan there are surviving remnants of armed bands collaborating with Al-Qaeda, which infiltrate into Pakistan. Russia has always been greatly worried by the possibility of these terror organizations gaining access to weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, which exist in the region, in particular - in Pakistan. The consultations were helpful in removing a number of our concerns. On certain other questions we have received substantive answers, which we will examine. From the point of view of both sides the consultations were important and timely. It has been agreed to continue them. The next meeting will be held in Pakistan.
Question: When are the Russian-Pakistan summit talks planned to be held?
Deputy Minister Mamedov: So far there is an agreement in principle only. We will be specifying the date via diplomatic channels. The visit of the President of Pakistan to Moscow may take place even in February. Wait for an official announcement to this effect from the press service of the President of Russia.
Question: In what spirit were strategic stability issues being considered in the course of the consultations?
Deputy Minister Mamedov: In the first place, I would like to mention that Pakistan has supported and continues to support the position of Russia, our striving for deep cuts in strategic offensive arms, which was realized in the Treaty with the US signed last year. Likewise Pakistan supports the resolution concerning preservation of the ABM Treaty that has been submitted on our initiative. So Pakistan and we have many common approaches in the sphere of START/ABM.
We told our Pakistani colleagues in detail about the Russian-proposed alternative to the global missile defense which the United States intends to deploy, namely cooperation in the area of nondestabilizing and nonbloc theater ABM systems. We are devising a particular plan, as is known, through the Council at 20 with the NATO countries. Such proposals were recently made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense of Russia to Japan and a number of other states. We are willing to develop similar systems in Asia too. The Pakistani side has shown interest in this.
With regard to the Iraq problem and the DPRK, the Pakistani side, just as us, favors a diplomatic solution of these issues and is against the use of armed force. Of course, as members of the UN Security Council we will respect the decisions taken by it and we are going to seek an impartial consideration at the Council of the international inspectors' report on Iraq.
We once again emphasized that the submission of the Korean question for discussion to the Security Council would be premature, and that bilateral diplomacy had yet to be allowed to do its job. We briefed on the mission by Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Losyukov to the DPRK. The Pakistani side regarded with interest our proposal for a so-called "package solution" to the Korean problem, which has already evoked a favorable international response. The Washington Post, in particular, published the article of Mr. Carter, a former US President, which contains many elements of a settlement of the Korean problem that are consonant with our package solution. In particular, very important is the call by Jimmy Carter for a return to the principles of the Agreed Framework accord between the United States and the DPRK of 1994. Let me remind you that President Carter played a very important role in concluding this Agreed Framework accord and in defusing the crisis which arose in 1993 around the intention of the DPRK to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Question: You said that Pakistan is showing interest in a theater ABM plan. Doesn't the danger exist that this plan might turn out to be destabilizing for the situation in the region considering that India and Pakistan were periodically threatening each other?
Deputy Minister Mamedov: We think there exist two principles on which cooperation in the field of theater missile defense has to be based. The first principle is that this isn't just an "appendage" to the US plans for the creation of a global missile defense, fraught with an undermining of strategic stability. The second principle is that the theater ABM idea does not bear a bloc character, it would be open for participation to all interested countries, would rest on the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and would not be directed against any country. Thus, if such a regional system is established, its participants can be India and China and Japan and the US and other interested countries - including, of course, Pakistan. It will present no threat to anybody therefore. The same model is now being specifically discussed, as you know, with the NATO member countries in the Council at 20. Herein is the difference of our plans from other plans for "bloc" regional missile defenses which bear a closed, bloc character, are limited to the members of the military alliances only and, naturally, some countries are apprehensive of those plans.
Question: What is the territorial coverage of this regional ABM system? Is the participation of Pakistan being planned therein?
Deputy Minister Mamedov: First, I said nothing about the participation of Pakistan; thus far, Pakistan hasn't said it's interested. We just shared our concept of regional theater missile defense systems. As to the scope of capability of the future system, that will depend on who will want to participate in it, as it is open for participation by all the countries prepared to abide by the principles of the United Nations and not interested in this system bearing a bloc character or being directed against a third country.
Question: Are there any data as to whether Al-Qaeda is maintaining its previous links with Pakistan?
Deputy Minister Mamedov: We, naturally, put to the Pakistani colleagues, including those representing the intelligence service, this question. The answer was that after the well-known events in September of last year there are the strict instructions of the President of Pakistan not to enter into any contacts with either the Taliban or other terrorist organizations, but, on the contrary, to lend support to the antiterrorist actions of the United States and of other participants of the coalition. Persons guilty of "clandestine" contacts are bound to suffer punishment. This is the present official stand of Pakistan, and in the course of the consultations we received its confirmation. Of course, the concern remains. There are serious data in hand that the remnants of Al-Qaeda who fled from Afghanistan to Pakistan or are on the periphery of the country have regrouped. They now have fresh sources of arms supply, mostly with the employment of the black market, and of the proceeds from drug trafficking. Their penetration from Afghanistan is made also into the territory of Pakistan and poses a threat to it, especially considering the existence of nuclear weapons in Pakistan. This is the reason for our particular concern, although the Pakistani side tried to reassure us in every way that it exercises reliable control over its nuclear weapons, and that the possibility of their getting into terrorists' hands is ruled out. We have agreed to continue this dialogue, including as part of Russian-Pakistani consultations on antiterrorist topics.
I shall stress here that the discussion of the reliability of the protection of the nuclear weapons in the region does not mean that we approve of the fact that Pakistan and India are nuclear states. On the contrary, we call upon them to accede to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty as non-nuclear states, to abide by the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, not to breach the announced moratorium on tests and to take other steps in this direction.
Question: There has appeared information that it is likely that Pakistan will join the SCO. Did the Pakistani side showed any such interest in the course of the consultations?
Deputy Minister Mamedov: No, today we didn't directly examine this matter, but this doesn't mean that it does not exist at all. Today we held with the Pakistani colleagues very "focus" consultations, dedicated to military-political issues. In parallel there proceed a great number of other consultations with Islamabad, including on bilateral topics. You know that recently, in particular, Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Anatoly Safonov visited Islamabad, where he discussed the questions of the joint struggle against terrorism very concretely. Naturally there are forums where we will have an opportunity to discuss with Pakistan also matters relating to the SCO, which has already become a very attractive regional organization.
Question: How will you describe the state of Russian-Pakistani relations?
Deputy Minister Mamedov: Using the title of the well-known film, I would say that we are living through a time of "great expectations." We hope for our relations to become partner-like, that they will qualitatively change for the better and that the not easy legacy of the Cold War will be overcome. Of course, any improvement in our relations is to be subordinated to the national interests of Russia, to the interests of the international struggle against terrorism, and for nonproliferation, and, of course, will not be directed against the interests of our traditional strategic partners, such as India.
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