Pakistan, India swap nuclear sites lists

    ISLAMABAD, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan and India exchanged lists of nuclear installations（核设施） and facilities on Saturday in spite of a tension over the 2008 Mumbai attacks that has disrupted the dialogue process between the two countries, the Foreign Ministry 1 said.

    The two countries exchange the lists of nuclear sites on the first day of the new year under an agreement signed in 1988 and came into force in January 1991.

    "The government of Pakistan（巴基斯坦） and India today exchanged lists of their respective nuclear installations and facilities in accordance with Article-II of the Agreement on Prohibition 2 of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between Pakistan and India of Dec. 31, 1988," a Foreign Ministry statement said.

    The statement said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed over the list of Pakistan's nuclear installations and facilities to an officer of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad at the Foreign Office on Saturday morning.

    The Indian side also handed over their list to an officer of the Pakistan High Commission at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, it said.

    After the agreement was signed the first exchange took place Jan. 1, 1992.

    Sources said it is the 20th consecutive 3 list exchange between the two countries.

    Pakistan and India conducted tit-for-tat nuclear tests in 1998. India conducted its first nuclear test in 1974, followed by five more in 1998. Pakistan conducted its six nuclear tests in 1998. Neither India nor Pakistan is a signatory to the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

    India considers the NPT discriminatory, while Pakistan has indicated that it won't join the international agreement till its neighbor does so.

    Neither of the two rival neighbors have signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

    In 2004 they launched a peace process, but that is now on hold following the Mumbai attacks, with New Delhi pressuring Islamabad（伊斯兰堡） to do more to punish those responsible for the carnage and to crack down on anti-India groups.

    Meanwhile, both countries also exchanged Lists of Prisoners in the two countries, the Foreign Ministry said.

    According to the Agreement on Consular 4 Access signed between Pakistan and India on May 21, 2008, both countries are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other's custody 5 on Jan. 1 and July 1 every year, the statement said.

    "Consistent with the provisions of this Agreement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed over the list of Indian prisoners in Pakistan to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad today," it said.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)