G8 Foreign Ministers Communiqué on Indian and Pakistani Nuclear Tests
Lancaster House, London, Friday 12 June 1998
- We, the Foreign Ministers of eight major industrialised democracies and
the Representative of the European Commission, held a special meeting in
London on 12 June 1998 to consider the serious global challenge posed by the
nuclear tests carried out by India and Pakistan. Recalling the statement
issued by our Heads of State or Government on 15 May, and emphasising the
support of all of us for the communique issued by the P5 in Geneva on 4 June
and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1172, we condemn the nuclear
tests carried out by India on 11 and 13 May 1998 and by Pakistan on 28 May and
30 May. These tests have affected both countries relationships with each of
us, worsened rather than improved their security environment, damaged their
prospects of achieving their goals of sustainable economic development, and
run contrary to global efforts towards nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear
disarmament.
- The negative impact of these tests on the international standing and
ambitions of both countries will be serious and lasting. They will also have
a serious negative impact on investor confidence. Both countries need to take
positive actions directed towards defusing tension in the region and rejoining
the international communitys efforts towards non-proliferation and nuclear
disarmament. Urgent action is needed both to halt an arms race on the
Sub-Continent, which would divert resources from urgent economic priorities,
and to reduce tension, build confidence and encourage peaceful resolution of
the differences between India and Pakistan, so that their peoples may face a
better future.
- With a view to halting the nuclear and missile arms race on the
Sub-Continent, and taking note of the official statements of the Indian and
Pakistani Governments that they wish to avoid such an arms race, we consider
that India and Pakistan should immediately take the following steps, already
endorsed by the United Nations Security Council:
- stop all further nuclear tests and adhere to the Comprehensive
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty immediately and unconditionally, thereby facilitating
its early entry into force;
- refrain from
weaponisation or deployment of nuclear weapons and from the testing or
deployment of missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, and enter into
firm commitments not to weaponise or deploy nuclear weapons or missiles;
- refrain from any further production of fissile material for nuclear
weapons or other nuclear explosive devices and participate, in a positive
spirit and on the basis of the agreed mandate, in negotiations with other
states in the Conference on Disarmament for a Fissile Material Cut-Off
Convention with a view to reaching early agreement;
- confirm their policies not to export equipment, materials and technology
that could contribute to weapons of mass destruction or missiles capable of
delivering them, and undertake appropriate commitments in that regard.
We believe that such actions would be strongly in the interest of
both countries.
- With a view to reducing tension, building confidence and encouraging
peaceful resolution of their differences through dialogue, India and Pakistan
should:
- undertake to avoid threatening military movements, cross-border
violations, including infiltrations or hot pursuit, or other provocative acts
and statements;
- discourage terrorist activity and any support for it;
- implement fully the confidence- and security-building measures
they have already agreed and develop further such measures;
- resume without delay a direct dialogue that addresses the root
causes of the tension, including Kashmir, through such measures as early
resumption of Foreign Secretary level talks, effective use of the hot-line
between the two leaders, and realisation of a meeting between Prime Ministers
on the occasion of the 10th SAARC Summit scheduled next month;
- allow and encourage progress towards enhanced Indo-Pakistani
economic cooperation, including through a free trade area in South Asia.
We encourage the development of a regional security dialogue.
- We
pledge actively to encourage India and Pakistan to find mutually acceptable
solutions to their problems and stand ready to assist India and Pakistan in
pursuing any of these positive actions. Such assistance might be provided,
at the request of both parties, in the development and implementation of
confidence- and security-building measures.
- The recent nuclear tests by India and
Pakistan do not change the definition of a nuclear weapon state in the NPT,
and therefore, notwithstanding those tests, India and Pakistan do not have the
status of nuclear weapon states in accordance with the NPT. We continue to
urge India and Pakistan to adhere to the NPT as it stands, without any
conditions. We shall continue to apply firmly our respective policies to
prevent the export of materials, equipment or technology that could in any way
assist programmes in India or Pakistan for nuclear weapons or for ballistic
missiles capable of delivering such weapons.
- It is our firm view that the nuclear
tests by India and Pakistan reinforce the importance of maintaining and
strengthening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as the cornerstone of the
non- proliferation regime and as the essential foundation for the pursuit of
nuclear disarmament. We all, nuclear weapon states and non-nuclear weapon
states alike, reiterate our determination to fulfil the commitments relating
to nuclear disarmament under Article VI of the NPT. These commitments were
reaffirmed at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference and included the
determined pursuit by the nuclear weapon states of systematic and progressive
efforts to reduce nuclear weapons globally with the ultimate goal of
eliminating those weapons. We note the progress already made in this
direction and welcome the firm intention both of the United States and of the
Russian Federation to bring START II into force, and to negotiate and conclude
a START III agreement at the earliest possible date. We also note
contributions made by other nuclear weapon states to the reductions process.
We call upon all states to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Treaty rapidly to ensure its entry into force, and welcome the determination
of the member governments of the G8 that have not yet ratified the Treaty to
do so at the earliest possible date. We continue to look for the accession
to the NPT of the remaining countries which are not yet parties to it.
- We call on all the member states of the Conference on
Disarmament to agree on the immediate opening of the Cut-Off negotiation at
the CD.
- Both India and Pakistan face enormous challenges in developing
their economies and building prosperity. However, the recent nuclear tests
have created an atmosphere of regional instability which will undermine the
regions attractiveness to both foreign and domestic investment, damaging
business confidence and the prospects for economic growth. The diversion of
their resources to nuclear and other weapons programmes displaces more
productive investment and weakens their ability to pursue sound economic
policies. It calls into question the commitment of both governments to
poverty reduction and undermines the regional cooperation between SAARC
countries on social and economic issues. In line with the approach to
development set out in the Naples, Lyon, Denver and Birmingham Communiques, we
call on both governments to reduce expenditure that undermines their objective
of promoting sound economic policies that will benefit all members of society,
especially the poorest, and to otherwise enhance cooperation in South Asia.
- We believe it is important that India and
Pakistan are aware of the strength of the international communitys views on
their recent tests and on these other subjects. Several among us have, on a
unilateral basis, taken specific actions to underscore our strong concerns.
All countries should act as they see fit to demonstrate their displeasure and
address their concerns to India and Pakistan. We do not wish to punish the
peoples of India or Pakistan as a result of actions by their governments, and
we will therefore not oppose loans by international financial institutions to
the two countries to meet basic human needs. We agree, however, to work for
a postponement in consideration of other loans in the World Bank and other
international financial institutions to India and Pakistan, and to any other
country that will conduct nuclear tests.
- We pledge to convey the common views of our
Governments on these matters to those of India and Pakistan with a view to
bringing about early and specific progress in the areas outlined above. We
plan to keep developments under review and to continue the process of pursuing
the goals on which we are all agreed.
Source: United Kingdom. Foreign and Commonwealth Office. June 12, 1998
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