In line with a decades-long tradition, India and Pakistan on Wednesday exchanged lists of their nuclear installations under a bilateral agreement that prohibits attacks on each other’s atomic facilities.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that the exchange occurred simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad, adhering to the “Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack Against Nuclear Installations and Facilities.”
“India and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels, simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the agreement on the prohibition of attack against nuclear installations and facilities,” the MEA said, PTI reported.
This annual exchange comes against the backdrop of strained ties between the two nations over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism.
Signed on December 31, 1988, and enforced from January 27, 1991, the agreement requires both sides to inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities covered under its provisions on the first day of each calendar year.
The MEA highlighted, “This is the 34th consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992.”
Despite persistent challenges in their bilateral relations, the annual exchange underscores an enduring aspect of cooperation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.