Pakistan has told the United States it will stand firm against future leaks of nuclear technology and would share the outcome of its current proliferation probe, officials said on Sunday.
Speaking by telephone to US Secretary of State Colin Powell, President Pervez Musharraf discussed Pakistan's ongoing probe into how nuclear technology had been passed to third countries, foreign ministry spokesman Masood Khan said.
He said Powell's telephone call late on Saturday lasted for over half an hour, and also touched on bilateral relations and the regional situation, as well as the pardon granted to nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, who admitted to passing nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea.
"President Musharraf conveyed Pakistan's firm resolve that such activity will never happen in future," the spokesman told AFP.
The country's nuclear programme is now "under firm control" of the National Command and Control Authority, which has taken steps to prevent proliferation in future, the Pakistani leader told Powell.
"Powell conveyed the US' appreciation of the efforts made by Pakistan and the manner in which it handled the investigation," the spokesman said.
"The talks were held in a cordial atmosphere." He said Pakistan and the United States affirmed "they will continue to support international efforts to curb proliferation."
The spokesman said, "Pakistan is ready to share information and results of our investigation in as much as they assist in achieving this objective."
"We have co-operated with the international community and we will continue to co-operate in the efforts to counter proliferation."
Powell would visit Pakistan "soon" for further talks on the nuclear investigation but no date had yet been set for the visit, a government official said in a separate statement.
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