Indo-Russian defense deals worry Pakistan

Indo-Russian defense deals worry Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (Reuters): Pakistan voiced worries on Monday over
defense deals arch-rival India has made with Russia and said
major powers should instead try to persuade New Delhi to settle
its disputes with Islamabad.

"It is natural for us to feel concerned over the prospect of
induction of massive quantities of new equipment and arms
recently contracted for purchase from Russia which will be
destabilizing for the region," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

But the spokesman, Riaz Mohammad Khan, whose comment was
Pakistan's first on the contracts signed last week during Russian
President Vladimir Putin's visit to India, said nuclear-capable
Pakistan could deter any aggression.

He said Pakistan was pursuing "a policy of restraint and
avoidance of arms race, conventional or nuclear" and again
offered a no-war pact with India.

He said Pakistan's stance was in contrast with New Delhi,
which made its ambitions evident by increasing its last defense
budget 28 percent.

"This does not augur well for promoting a security environment
of trust, peace, stability and confidence," he said.

"It is in the interest of the region that nothing is done to
whet the Indian ambitions. Instead the major powers can play a
positive role by persuading India to resolve disputes and
differences and follow the path of dialogue and cooperation."

Pakistan, a close ally of the United States during the Cold
War but now denied U.S. weapons, extended an unusual warmth to a
Russian official when Putin sent a special envoy, Sergie
Yastrzhembsky, to Islamabad before going to India.

But any optimism generated in Islamabad by Yastrzhembsky's
September 26-27 visit about the possibility of better relations
with Moscow seemed dampened by defense deals between Cold War-era
friends India and Russia.

Khan called Pakistan's defenses as "impregnable" and said "the
world knows we have the capability to deter any aggression
against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan".

Pakistan demonstrated its nuclear capability by testing its
nuclear bombs in May 1998 in response to similar tests by India
in a development that brought international condemnation and
economic sanctions for both countries.

Russia and India last week forged a strategic partnership
under which they agreed not to join any military political
alliance, associations or armed conflict against each other and
also signed four agreements, including for the purchase by India
of T-90 S battletanks and Sokhoi-30 MKI fighter jets, an a
protocol on military technical cooperation.

U.S. weapons supplies have been the mainstay of Pakistan's
military, but Washington banned weapon sales to Islamabad in 1990
because of its objections to Pakistan's nuclear program.