New Delhi: India and Pakistan today (June 19, 2004) held the first-ever crucial expert-level talks on Nuclear Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) aimed at narrowing differences and finding common ground on nuclear risk reduction.

Official sources here said New Delhi's basic approach was to understand Pakistan's nuclear doctrine and related issues and develop measures, which reassure and not take away confidence.

India wants both sides to give positive signals to the people in their countries as also to the international community and allay any apprehension of nuclear conflagration in South Asia.

The Pakistani delegation is led by Tariq Osman Hyder, Additional Secretary in the Pakistan Foreign Office while the Indian team is headed by Sheel Kant Sharma, Additional Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry.

The two sides will discuss a range of issues covering nuclear risk reduction and strategic stability at the two-day meeting.

Hyder is assisted by former Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi and at present Director General of South Asia, Jalil Abbas Jilani.

The other members of the Pakistani delegation are Masood Khan, the foreign office spokesman who is also looking after the UN desk, Shuja Alam, Director (Foreign Office), Group Captain Khalid Banuri, Deputy Director, Strategic PlansDivision and Khaleel-ur Rehman Hashim, Deputy Director (Foreign Office).

The Indian delegation includes Arun K Singh, Joint Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry and officials from the Department of Atomic Energy and DRDO.

The two sides are expected to pick up threads from the February, 1999 Memorandum of Understanding dealing with nuclear CBMs signed in Lahore during the visit of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The Pakistani delegation will call on External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh and have meetings with Foreign Secretary Shashank and National Security Adviser J N Dixit.