Musharraf, Annan discuss nuclear treaty
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From staff and wire reports
HAVANA -- Saying it is in Pakistan's interest to end
military rule, Pakistani ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf has
outlined to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan plans for
returning democracy to his nation.
However, details of Musharraf's plan were not made public
following the leaders' Wednesday meeting in Havana on the
sidelines of the G77 meeting of Third World nations.
"The discussion had two focuses: Firstly, the general's plans
for democratization of Pakistan, and secondly, regional
security issues," Annan's spokesman, Fred Eckard, said.
Musharraf assumed control of Pakistan's government on October
12 after the military ousted former Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif in a bloodless coup.
Also stemming from that incident were charges of kidnapping,
terrorism, attempted murder and hijacking filed against
Sharif. An anti-terrorism court last week found the former
prime minister guilty of hijacking and terrorism, and imposed two life sentences.
"The people of Pakistan want (democracy), and I certainly
want it. There is no problem there," Musharraf told
reporters.
Castro: World economic order criminal
Cuban leader Fidel Castro, 73, demanded Wednesday that a
"Nuremberg" trial be held for financiers. He said a world
economic order dominated by the rich -- in which the poor
must pay increasing debts and commodity export prices are
pushed down -- was criminal.
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Cuban President Fidel Castro greets Angola's President Jose Eduardo dos Santos at a dinner reception during the South Summit of developing nations in Havana, Cuba
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"We need a Nuremberg to put on trial the economic order that
they have imposed on us, that every three years kills more
men, women and children by hunger and preventable or curable
diseases than the death toll in six years of the second world
war," said Castro.
Forty-two nations' leaders are attending the five-day G77
summit, which has grown since its founding in 1964 to group
133 nonaligned nations. The summit's first-ever presidential
phase began Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, the Pakistani and Nigerian delegations
called for action to stop corrupt politicians from smuggling
money out of their countries into rich international banks.
Meanwhile, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid told the
summit that there was a division between countries like Cuba
and Malaysia -- which support a radical overhaul of the
global economy -- and richer nations.
"If we quarrel about approaches to be made, then all will
face losses," Wahid said, warning that poor nations
infighting could scuttle chances of a united voice to address
their concerns.
Nigeria urges consolidation of democracies
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo called on the leaders
who were present -- including Musharraf -- to consolidate
their democracies, which would lead to investments and
possibly lower debts.
Musharraf vowed Pakistan would establish a South Institute of
Technology to help spread knowledge, especially information
technology, among the poorer countries.
"This technology is far less capital-intensive than old
industrial technology, and therefore may enable poor
countries to leapfrog some of the long and painful stages of
development that others had to go through," Annan said.
Also on the summit's sidelines, Annan discussed with
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen the issues preventing a UN-
backed tribunal from trying former Khmer Rouge leaders for
crimes against humanity. They agreed UN and Cambodian
diplomats would meet soon to try and resolve the deadlock.
"(Annan and Hun Sen) are seeking a compromise formula," a UN
statement said Wednesday. "The two working groups will have
to meet one more time, and the expectation is that this will
happen in the shortest amount of time."
Cambodia and the UN have argued about which side should
control the trials stemming from the deaths of approximately
1.77 million Cambodians during the Khmer Rouge's reign in the
1970s. While they have agreed tentatively to a jointly
controlled tribunal, Cambodia opposes allowing an
international prosecutor to issue independent indictments.
Musharraf, Annan discuss nuclear treaty
During their talks, Musharraf also explained to Annan
Pakistan's position on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Musharraf said Pakistan wants to build a national consensus
before deciding whether to sign the document.
Musharraf also said Pakistan wants third-party mediation --
either led by the United States or the UN -- to help resolve
its Kashmir-related tensions with neighboring India.
Pakistan and India, which have fought two wars over Kashmir
since 1947, almost went to war over the region last summer.
However, India opposes mediation, and has said it does not
want Kashmir to become an international issue.
"Whether it is mediation, or facilitation, or bilateral
dialogue, we need to initiate a dialogue," Musharraf said.
Correspondent Bill Delaney and Reuters contributed to this report.