Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-04-21-Speech-3-283"
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"en.20040421.11.3-283"2
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"Mr President, I had the honour to be a part of the delegation to Pakistan's visit to the Pakistani side of the line of control in Kashmir in December. We had the opportunity during that delegation meeting to meet with President Musharraf, and I was much impressed by his commitment to pursuing a programme of peace and reconciliation with India. It looks, for the first time, as though both sides are prepared to think the previously unthinkable and find a resolution, driven by the economic impact on their two economies of a continuing conflict; a conflict that has dogged the world for the last 50 years.
Nevertheless, there are still enormous problems in Pakistan regarding human rights, democracy and nuclear proliferation. Colleagues have told us about the treatment of Christian and Ahmadi religious minorities, the situation of women, the deeply flawed election result that Mr Cushnahan oversaw, and the jailing of members of the opposition like Javed Hashmi. I would therefore concur with my colleagues on those concerns.
Last year Mr Tannock and I added to our resolution on North Korea the fact that Pakistan had supplied blueprints for a highly enriched uranium technology programme to North Korea for the production of nuclear weapons. At the time, we were roundly attacked by the Pakistani Government and when I raised the issue with Foreign Minister Kasuri during the December meeting I was told that the North Koreans needed no help – they were well advanced with nuclear weapon technology, including miniaturisation. Whether or not they needed help, it is now clear that it was provided.
Now new questions are arising about the nuclear test of 30 May 1998 in Baluchistan, which looks as if it could have been a joint test of a plutonium weapon between Pakistan and North Korea. When I raised the issue with the Pakistani Ambassador, who came to see me this week, he said that they were cooperating with the United States. That is not good enough: we in the European Union want cooperation and to be kept in the loop as well. However, despite that, I will support this third-generation cooperation agreement. We will be paying close attention to further progress on human rights in Pakistan."@en1
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