The following is the text of
the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Indian Foreign Secretary, Mr. K. Raghunath, and the Pakistan Foreign Secretary, Mr. Shamshad Ahmad, in Lahore on February 21, 1999
The Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan:-
Reaffirming the continued commitment of their
respective governments to the principles and purposes of the U.N. Charter;
Reiterating the determination of both countries to
implementing the Shimla Agreement in letter and spirit;
Guided by the agreement between their Prime Ministers
of 23rd September 1998 that an environment of peace and security is in the supreme
national interest of both sides and that resolution of all outstanding issues, including
Jammu and Kashmir, is essential for this purpose;
Pursuant to the directive given by their respective
Prime Ministers in Lahore, to adopt measures for promoting a stable environment of peace,
and security between the two countries;
Have on this day, agreed to the following:-
- The two sides shall engage in bilateral consultations
on security concepts, and nuclear doctrines, with a view to developing measures for
confidence building in the nuclear and coventional fields, aimed at avoidance of conflict.
- The two sides undertake to provide each other with
advance notification in respect of ballistic missile flight tests, and shall conclude a
bilateral agreement in this regard.
- The two sides are fully committed to undertaking
national measures to reducing the risks of accidential or unauthorised use of nuclear
weapons under their respective control. The two sides further undertake to notify each,
other immediately in the event of any accidential, unauthorised or unexplained incident
that could create the risk of a fallout with adverse consequences for both sides, or an
outbreak of a nuclear war between the two countries, as well as to adopt measures aimed at
diminishing the possibility of such actions, or such incidents being misinterpreted by the
other. The two side shall identify/establish the appropriate communication mechanism for
this purpose.
- The two sides shall continue to abide by their
respective unilateral moratorium on conducting further nuclear test explosions unless
either side, in exercise of its national sovereignty decides that extraordinary events
have jeopardised its supreme interests.
- The two sides shall conclude an agreement on
prevention of incidents at sea in order to ensure safety of navigation by naval vessels,
and aircraft belonging to the two sides.
- The two sides shall periodically review the
implementation of existing Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and where necessary, set up
appropriate consultative mechanisms to monitor and ensure effective implementation of
these CBMs.
- The two sides shall undertake a review of the existing
communication links (e.g. between the respective Directors- General, Military Operations)
with a view to upgrading and improving these links, and to provide for fail-safe and
secure communications.
- The two sides shall engage in bilateral consultations
on security, disarmament and non-proliferation issues within the context of negotiations
on these issues in multilateral fora.
Where required, the technical details of the above
measures will be worked out by experts of the two sides in meetings to be held on mutually
agreed dates, before mid 1999, with a view to reaching bilateral agreements.
Done at Lahore on 21st February 1999 in the presence
of Prime Minister of India, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr.
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
(K. Raghunath)
Foreign Secretary of the Republic of India
(Shamshad Ahmad)
Foreign Secretary of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan |