Islamabad, April 01, 2005 (UNI)

Pakistan has failed to reach a formal agreement with India on giving advance warning of missile tests, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri said.

''India wanted more information than we are prepared to give,'' he told Japan's Kyodo news service in Islamabad yesterday.

The Foreign Minister said Pakistan has reservations regarding sharing of sensitive details on launch sites and trajectories.

The two countries were also unable to reach an agreement on whether cruise missiles should be included, when they met late last year in a bid to finally hammer out the long-awaited deal, he said.

Mr Kasuri claimed that the delivery of F-16 aircraft is a great success of Pakistan's foreign policy.

He said Pakistan has a very credible defence force.

''The purpose of acquiring F-16s is to maintain minimum credible deterrence,'' the Minister said, adding ''Pakistan's relations with India and Afghanistan have improved remarkably.''