United States while welcoming India-Pakistan dialogue has asked both nations to sign the CTBT.
The United States of America today said that while it welcomed talks between nuclear powers India and Pakistan, both countries must sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty or CTBT soon.
"We welcome high-level dialogue between India and Pakistan and encourage both countries to engage in the dialogue. It remains our view that to achieve a legally binding commitment on nuclear explosive testing would be for both states to ratify the CTBT," spokesperson for the United States' State Department Mark Toner said.
On August 12, the advisor to Pakistan's Prime Minister, Sartaj Aziz had said Pakistan was ready for a bilateral moratorium with India on nuclear non-testing.
"We have declared a unilateral moratorium on further testing. Pakistan is prepared to consider translating its unilateral moratorium into a bilateral arrangement on non-testing with India."
At present both India and Pakistan follow "unilateral, voluntary and legally non-binding" ban on nuclear tests. Both countries are yet to ratify the CTBT.
The CTBT with its 183 signatories and 163 ratifications is one of the most widely supported arms-control treaties in the world. It enforces a non-discriminatory ban on nuclear testing by member states. While India observes a voluntary moratorium on underground nuclear tests it has opposed signing the CTBT on grounds that it privileges existing nuclear weapon states.