Bush Says No Civilian Nuclear Partnership with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 6, 2006 (ENS) - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf welcomed U.S. President George W. Bush to Islamabad on Saturday and the leaders affirmed the long term, strategic partnership between their two countries, but it will not include nuclear cooperation. While the American President was confirmed a civilian nuclear agreement with India earlier in the week, he is not willing to write a parallel agreement with Pakistan.

In a joint press conference Saturday, President Bush said that while a nuclear deal had been discussed, he did not feel Pakistan is ready for such a deal at this time. "We discussed a civilian nuclear program," Bush said, "and I explained that Pakistan and India are different countries with different needs and different histories. So, as we proceed forward, our strategy will take in effect those well-known differences."

Pakistan currently has two nuclear power reactors, and began building a third with Chinese help at Chashma in Punjab province in January.

President George W. Bush is welcomed by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, March 4, 2006. (Photo by Eric Draper courtesy The White House)

Pakistan has sought to calm international fears, saying its civilian nuclear plants are operated under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supervision.

Pakistan also has a nuclear weapons and missile technology program. Its first nuclear weapons tests was conducted in 1998, more than 10 years after rival India built its first nuclear weapon. Neither Pakistan nor India has signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

In September, Pakistan urged the United States and other Western countries to help it develop civilian nuclear technology to meet its burgeoning energy needs.

During their joint press conference, President Bush told reporters that U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman would visit shortly to work with the Pakistan government to develop clean coal and natural gas to help meet the country's energy needs.

A proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline ran into opposition from the United States last year, as concern over Iran's uranium enrichment program grew.

President Bush said Saturday that he was fine with the pipeline. "We understand your need to get natural gas in the region, and that's fine," he said.

"Our beef with Iran is not the pipeline," said President Bush, "our beef with Iran is the fact that they want to develop a nuclear weapon. And I believe a nuclear weapon in the hands of the Iranians would be very dangerous for all of us. It would endanger world peace. So we're working very hard to convince the Iranians to get rid of their nuclear ambitions," he said.

Pakistan and India now are negotiating with Iran on the gas price and project structure. The three nations will meet this month for the first time to finalize arrangements for the US$7 billion, 2,600 kilometer (1,600 mile) pipeline.

The IAEA has referred the issue Iran's nuclear enrichment program to the UN Security Council, where it now awaits action. IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei is due to present his latest report on Iran's nuclear activities to the IAEA's Board of Governors today.

As part of their newly declared strategic partnership Presidents Bush and Musharraf agreed to develop public and private collaboration on a broad range of energy sources.

Pakistan's Chasnupp Nuclear power plant, China's first export reactor project. It is operated by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. (Photo courtesy Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission)

"There are a lot of technological ways to pursue the energy needs, but civil nuclear just isn't possible," Rice said.

On other environmental issues, President Bush said the United States is "proud to help our Pakistani friends recover from the devastation of the earthquake" that struck October 8, 2005. The 7.6 magnitude quake killed 73,000 people, injured an equal number and left more than three million homeless to face the harsh Himalayan winter.

President Bush renewed the U.S. pledge of one-half billion dollars for recovery and reconstruction. "It is staggering what the people of this country have been through. It is unbelievable how many people lost their lives, how many people have lost their homes. And we're proud to help. We're proud to help a great Pakistan military take the lead. We're proud to stand with the NGOs and those who deliver compassion as this country rebuilds," he said.

President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, accompanied by President Musharraf and First Lady Begum Sehba Musharraf, met with orphaned children, amputees and women survivors of the earthquake and expressed their sympathy and support. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was also present.

President Bush said also that he supports the Pakistani President's vision of a reconstruction opportunity zone in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. "This vision means that products manufactured in those zones will be eligible for duty-free entry into the United States. So we're working to create such zones," he said.

The U.S.-Pakistan strategic partnership includes a new agreement to enhance Pakistan's institutional capacity in the area of the environment through exchange of experts and developing linkages and collaborative projects with relevant U.S. institutions.