ISLAMABAD, Jan 5: Pakistan and Japan on Thursday agreed to enhance bilateral security dialogue in talks between their foreign ministers when Tokyo also announced an additional $55 million package to help Pakistan’s post-earthquake reconstruction.

“We have agreed that in the context of security dialogue we are going to enhance our cooperation … on issue of disarmament and (nuclear) proliferation,” Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso told a joint news conference with his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri.

Mr Kasuri said the two sides raised matters during the talks that “we can discuss under security dialogue on an annual basis” and he assured information-sharing with Japan against terrorism and nuclear proliferation.

A foreign ministry statement issued later said the two foreign ministers had agreed to “extend the scope of the existing bilateral security dialogue to include senior expert-level working groups”.

“One (group) will deal with counter-terrorism issues and the second will discuss disarmament, non-proliferation, dual use of technology, peaceful uses of nuclear energy, nuclear safety and space technology,” it said.

Mr Aso, who arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday night for a two-day visit after a similar visit to India and met President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Thursday morning, announced the $55 million package that will bring the total of Japan’s assistance to Pakistan for earthquake relief and reconstruction to $200 million.

The new package will consist of $20 million for emergency humanitarian assistance to be allocated to relevant to UN agencies and four billion yen (about $35 million) non-project grant assistance. This amount is meant to be used to reconstruct hospitals and schools, provide materials, support rehabilitation of bridges of Azad Kashmir’s Jhelum Valley road leading to the Line of Control and for an emergency development study on the rehabilitation and reconstruction in the earthquake-ruined Azad Kashmir capital Muzaffarabad.

Mr Aso and Mr Kasuri signed and exchanged notes on a $100 million worth yen loan for earthquake disaster relief and economic reconstruction that Japan had announced at a donors’ conference in Islamabad on Nov 19 and on a 27 million yen ($0.23 million) grant aid for the enhancement of training facilities of a construction machinery training institute.

The foreign ministry statement said the two foreign ministers discussed “the complete range of bilateral relations and regional and international issues”, including counter-terrorism, disarmament, non-proliferation, cooperation in Asia, the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan-India relations, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

It said Mr Kasuri briefed Mr Aso about the progress of the “composite dialogue” process between Pakistan and India.

The Pakistani foreign minister, it said, invited Japanese investment in Pakistan and requested for a review of quarantine restrictions on the export of Pakistani agricultural produce such as mangoes.

Other issues discussed included the provision of post-graduate scholarships for Pakistani students, Japanese funds for the completion of the Indus Highway, revival of the Karachi Circular Railway project and promotion of tourism in Pakistan and the statement said Mr Aso assured Mr Kasuri that Japan would look into these issues.

The statement quoted Mr Aso as appreciating Pakistan’s “key role” in promoting regional peace and security, and Mr Kasuri as appreciating Japan’s technical and financial assistance to Pakistan and conveying the government’s commitment to use Tokyo’s development assistance “in the best interests” of Pakistani people.

Mr Aso said at a news conference at the foreign ministry Japan valued Pakistan’s role in the fight against terrorism and President Musharraf’s concept of “enlightened moderation” and that there was a “huge potential” to broaden relationship between the two countries.

Mr Kasuri said the two sides had held a “very meaningful discussion” on nuclear issues and that he informed the visiting foreign minister why Pakistan had to go nuclear in response to India’s nuclearisation but still having “a very strong belief in non-proliferation”.

“Pakistan completely believes in non-proliferation and, what is more important, we attach a lot of importance to Japan’s sensitivities,” he said and added: “We have cooperated with many countries and we will cooperate with Japan on anything Japan wants, any information-sharing. We are willing to do that (as) we have done with some other friendly countries.”

Mr Kasuri said while Pakistan recognised Japan’s rights under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, “we will be against any transfer (of nuclear technology) from North Korea to Iran”.

Mr Aso said he and Mr Kasuri had exchanged information about the alleged role of Dr A.Q. Khan in nuclear black-market and would continue to do so.

Mr Kasuri said Pakistan had taken the “strongest possible measures” against what is known as A.Q. Khan network and put it “out of business”.