ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Syed Tariq Fatemi, has emphasised the need for equal treatment to all applicants of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), based on objective and non-discriminatory criteria. The special assistant, who is currently on an official visit to Astana in Kazakhstan as a special envoy of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, held a meeting with Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Erlan Idrissov and Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev, said a press release issued by the Foreign Office on Friday. Besides bilateral issues, Fatemi sought support of Kazakhstan for Pakistan’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. While presenting Pakistan’s point of view, he reiterated that its application stood on solid grounds of technical expertise, capability and well-established commitments to nuclear safety and security. The special assistant assured his interlocutors that Pakistan’s export control regime was fully harmonised with those of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Missile Technology Control Regime (MTRC) and Australia Group. Fatemi further highlighted that Pakistan and Kazakhstan enjoys close and cordial relations that were based on common bonds of history, culture, tradition and values. Both the sides also recalled the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Astana in August last year. The two sides resolved to identify new areas of common interest where the relationship could be further enhanced and reiterated their desire to transform the bilateral relations into a multi-dimensional partnership.