Russia “concerned” about security of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal

Russian deputy prime minister Sergei Ivanov has said his country is ''very much concerned'' about the security of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, and that this Islamic nation must be stabilized before peace can hoped to be achieved in neighbouring Afghanistan.

''It's obvious to anybody that the Pakistani-Afghan border is a safe haven for terrorists, for the Taliban,'' Ivanov said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in his Moscow office yesterday. ''They hit and run back to Pakistan. So you have to deal with both. Both are very unstable.''

Ivanov also said Russia would seek US co-operation in establishing effective missile proliferation controls. ''We obviously see that the present system of missile nonproliferation doesn't work,'' he said. ''More and more countries are laying their hands on very dangerous missile technologies.''

He also suggested that Russia would be prepared to use ''all possible means'' to help reach a ''real settlement'' in Afghanistan without contributing troops to the United Nations backed International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the US and its NATO allies.

Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and US president Barack Obama are due to meet in London on 1 April where they would be hoping to discuss such issues as well as a new agreement to replace the 1991 US-Soviet Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expires in December.

Ivanov also observed that the present international coalition in Afghanistan had partly ''followed the Soviet experience,'' and suggested that no military solution was possible in Afghanistan. The Soviet army fought a nine-year Afghan war that ultimately ended with it beating a retreat in 1989.

Ivanov told Bloomberg TV that military force alone would be insufficient to deal with the threat posed by a ''resurgent'' Taliban.

Ivanaov's comments come in the backdrop of president Medvedev offer, along with three allies in Central Asia, to provide ''full-fledged and comprehensive cooperation'' to NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Russia has already allowed the US to ship non-lethal cargoes across its territory to supply its forces in Afghanistan.

US president Barack Obama has already signaled a escalation of operations in Afghanistan by ordering an additional 17,000 US troops to the land-locked mountainous country in addition to the 38,000 personnel already serving there. He has asserted that the war against the Taliban was ''still winnable.''

Lately, muddled signals have begun to emanate from Washington suggesting that deals with ''moderate'' Taliban may be considered.