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Pakistan-N. Korea Military Cooperation Over, says Musharraf


Pakistan's president says his country no longer maintains military cooperation with North Korea and has never helped Pyongyang in its quest for nuclear weapons.

President Pervez Musharraf says Pakistan had previously obtained some help from the North Koreans in developing short-range missiles.

Speaking Friday at the end of a visit to South Korea, he said, however, that defense cooperation with North Korea has since been cut and there are no plans to resume such ties in the future.

He said Pakistan's missile program is now completely indigenous.

President Musharraf says cooperation with the North Koreans never included the transfer of Pakistani nuclear know-how.

"There has been no transfer of technology, no proliferation whatsoever, leave aside North Korea, with any other country of the world," he said.

Previously, media reports alleged Pakistan aided North Korea in obtaining uranium-enrichment technology, used for building nuclear bombs.

Both India and Pakistan declared themselves nuclear powers in May 1998 by publicly testing their weapons.

Mr. Musharraf said that a balance of forces is needed to keep peace between Pakistan and India, and is why Islamabad began to develop nuclear weapons after India made its first nuclear test three decades ago.

The president on Friday ended a three-day visit to South Korea aimed at building better ties with Seoul.

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