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Nawaz meeting with Clinton to help ease economic sanctions: Shamshad

New York,Sept 22 (APP):Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif's meeting with US President Bill Clinton, lasting over 45 minutes will help ease economic sanctiions against pakistan, said Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmed here Monday. "The process has alrady been initiated in US Congress to remove Pressler Amendment, Glenn Amendment and Symington Amendment,"he told reporters at press briefing here. When asked if Sharif's meeting with Clinton help ease economic sanctions slapped against it by US in the aftermath of nuclear tests last May, Shamshad said,"yes." To another query, he said,"we have to believe US earnest to remove," the difficulties. US, he said, has promised to give signal to donors to give additional funding to pakistan to help it overcome the economic difficulties. Nawaz Sharif, he said, made it clear Pakistan would not sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty unleess the atmosphere of coercion was do done away with. People of pakistan, he told Clinton, have to be assured that no atmosphere of coercion and economic sanctions will be removed before any decision on CTBT.pakistan will ttake its decision on signing the CTBT in its larger national intersts, said Nawaz Sharif. The Prime Minister briefed Clinton on the compulsions which impelled Pakistan to test the nuclear devices. "It was to avert conflict which may have erupted, he told Clinton adding ,Pakistan should have been awarded for its contribution for peace and cause of stability in South Asia. President Clinton was helped by US Secretarry of State Albright, Deputy Secrretary of State Strobe Talbot and Asssistant ecretaryy of State Karrl Indefurth during his talks with Nawaz Sharif. The Prime Minister was helped by Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz, Commerce Minister Ishaq Dar and Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmed. "The economic sanctions are hurting Pakistan more than India," he said adding Pakistan tested its nuclear device to correct the strategic imbalance created by Indian explosions on May 11. Both the leaders agreed to,"build their relations on genuine trust and confidence rather than on political expediency," he said. "Their discussions were positive, constructive and the two sides expressed the resolve to build a new relationship that promotes, and not undermines peace and security in South Asia." Sharif told Clinton that the issue of ,security and nuclear non-proliferation are inter-linked and should be adddressed in a comprehesnive manner." Their discussions were positive ,constructive and they expresssed their resolve to to improve their relations and remove impediments in their way. When asked what was the focal point of Nawaz -Clinton's meeting, Shamshad said, Kashmir dispute was the focal point of discussion in the their meeting. Clinton wanted to know how he can help resolve the issue," becuase of the negative attitude, India has refused to accept third party mediation. The Prime Minister while emphasising the centrality of Kasmir dispute behind tension in South Asia, urged Clinton ,"to play some kind of role in facilitating," the settlement of Kashmir problem.