Sir Michael Quinlan, Consulting Senior Fellow for South Asia at the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) , on Saturday said the abolition of armouries, particularly nuclear weapons, could be expected only through wider political developments.
Participating in a discussion on Global Nuclear Weapon Prospect' at a meeting held by the Centre for Security Analysis (CAS), Sir Michael said nuclear weaponisation would come to an end just as the collapse of the Berlin wall, owing to political transformation.
Referring to the situation in South Asia, he said dialogue was the best way to solve conflicts between Pakistan and India, besides enhancing stability in the region. One of the things most difficult for either side to recognise was that the other needed deterrence, he added.
On the July 18 agreement between India and the United States in the nuclear area as part of development relations, Sir Michael said the U.S. Congress might not take it the same way as President George Bush, on striking a balance between fulfilling the obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and promotion of bilateral relationship with India. Some Congressmen had felt that the agreement was a departure from the NPT regime, he added.
Rahul Roy Chaudhury, Research Fellow for South Asia at the IISS, who spoke on India-Pakistan Peace Process Dividends,' referred to four phases of the India-Pakistan peace process that had thrown both opportunities and challenges. He said the peace process would slow down if it were not promoted through compromises. Any setback to these efforts would be a serious concern for not only the two countries but also for the international community.
It was also imperative to bring in a new phase in the peace process by promoting better relations, he said adding that the efforts should also focus on Kashmir-specific issues such as Inter-Kashmir trade and finding a solution to the dispute on Siachin Glacier. Efforts were required to bring about a soft line of control as an interim measure and resolution of the Kashmir issue as the long-term measure.
M.R. Srinivasan, Member, Atomic Energy Commission, made it clear that he did not agree with the view that the India-U.S. nuclear cooperation would weaken the NPT regime. India had never resorted to nuclear proliferation during the last five decades, he pointed out. India's energy needs were huge in view of its population and it would march ahead in developing nuclear power required for civilian purposes.
V.R. Raghavan, president, CAS, highlighted the significance of the discussion on the two topics. He also gave an introduction on the activities of the IISS.
