Any NSG exception to disturb regional stability: Pakistan

Tashkent: Any exception in granting membership to the NSG will disturb strategic stability in South Asia, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Making a strong case for Pakistan's bid to join the 48-member NSG, Hussain said that his country had made notable efforts over the years to strengthen its export controls, command and control and nuclear safety and security.

Hussain met Xi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan and discussed Pakistan's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Foreign Office said in a statement.

"The President also said that any exception given for NSG membership could disturb strategic stability in South Asia," the statement, apparently referring to India, said.

"Both sides reiterated support to each other's core interests and expressed their intention to maintain close coordination," it said.

President Hussain said that the friendship between the two countries is time tested and based on complete mutual trust, understanding and respect. The two countries enjoyed excellent cooperation and convergence of views on regional and global issues. He also thanked China for its support to Pakistan for becoming full member of the SCO.

Hussain said Pakistan was committed to the timely realisation of all the projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and emphasised that it would not only benefit Pakistan and China but would be a game changer for the entire region.

President Xi said Pakistan and China are "iron brothers" and both nations enjoy an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. He expressed China's complete support to Pakistan's national security and territorial integrity. President Xi stated that CPEC was a flagship project of the One Belt One Road Initiative and China was committed to its successful completion.

Both sides expressed satisfaction over the progress of the CPEC related projects. They appreciated the various activities being carried out to celebrate 2016 as the 65^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China.

They also expressed satisfaction on the bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, economy, culture, people to people contacts, defence and counter-terrorism.