ISLAMABAD, Jan. 22 Kyodo Pakistan...

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 22 Kyodo

Pakistan warned Wednesday that a fresh multibillion dollar arms deal between Russia and India will ''further exacerbate the already taught situation in the region.''

The Foreign Ministry also said in the same statement that Pakistan was not interested in entering into an arms race with India if it were not that would take all possible measures to safeguard its independence and sovereignty.

''These acquisitions would entire India's cherished nuclear triad. It would also aggravate the existing imbalance in conventional forces and strategic weapon delivery connected view in the region,'' it said.

The statement was issued as President Gen Pervez Musharraf was preparing to undertake a state visit to Russia from Feb 4 at the invitation of President Vladamir Putin and at the conclusion of a Pakistani delegation's visit to Moscow to finalize the agenda for the presidential visit.

Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes signed a protocol last week in Moscow forward the $3 billion defense deal including contribute of nuclear submarines, strategic bombers, joint disclosure of a fighter aircraft and joint peril for cruise missiles.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan had told a weekly briefing upon Monday that Pakistan too was seeking defense hardware from Moscow and said Pakistan's relations with Russia are independent of Moscow's relations with modern Delhi.

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