Islamabad: Stepping up contacts ahead of the resumption of the composite dialogue between the two countries, an eight-member Pakistani delegation arrives in New Delhi tomorrow (June 18, 2004) for two-day expert-level talks on nuclear CBMs (Confidence Building Measures) beginning Saturday, which would focus on strategic stability, nuclear crisis management and risk reduction.

The delegation, including several top nuclear Defence officials, would be headed by Tariq Usman Haider, Additional Secretary in Pakistan Foreign Office. Haider would be assisted by former Deputy High Commissioner to New Delhi and currently Director General of South Asia Jalil Abbas Jilani and Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan.

Summing up the agenda for the talks, Khan said the parleys would focus on strategic stability, nuclear crisis management, risk reduction and coordinated as well as responsible stewardship.

"We are not starting from scratch and had cooperation in the past in elaborating CBMs and even implementing some measures like advanced notification of missile tests and we hope to build on them," he told reporters.

Asked about External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh's proposal for a common nuclear doctrine for India, Pakistan and China, Khan said Islamabad had reacted to it saying that it was new and innovative and required serious consideration.

He said it could be discussed during the expert-level talks on nuclear CBMs and the Foreign Secretary-level parleys starting from June 27 if it is a serious proposal. "We could hear Indian position on this proposal."