India and Pakistan on Wednesday carried out the annual exchange of lists detailing their nuclear installations and facilities, in line with a long-standing bilateral agreement aimed at preventing attacks on nuclear sites.

The exchange took place simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities. The agreement was signed on 31 December 1988 and came into force on 27 January 1991.

Under the terms of the accord, both countries are required to inform each other every year, on 1 January, of the nuclear installations and facilities covered by the agreement. The annual exchange is intended to promote transparency and reduce the risk of conflict involving sensitive nuclear infrastructure.

This year’s exchange marks the 35th consecutive time India and Pakistan have shared such information. The first exchange of lists was conducted on 1 January 1992, and the practice has continued uninterrupted since then, despite periodic tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

The continued implementation of the agreement is seen as an important confidence-building measure between India and Pakistan, underscoring a mutual commitment to avoid targeting each other’s nuclear facilities and to maintain a minimum level of strategic stability in the region. (ILKHA)