January 11, 2003	Saturday	Ziqa'ad 7, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 10: Mr Ali Said Abdella, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Eritrea, arrived in Islamabad on Friday morning on a five-day goodwill visit to Pakistan.

He was accompanied by Eritrean Minister for Educa-tion Osman Salh and other senior officials from the ministries of health, trade and Industry.

The Eritrean Foreign Minister and Foreign Minister Mian Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri held an official round of talks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The foreign minister assured the visiting dignitary of all possible economic assistance and cooperation from Pakistan.

The foreign minister’s proposal for an institutionalized framework for cooperation betwe-en the two countries, was welcomed by his Eritrean counterpart.

Accordingly, both sides would identify areas of bilateral cooperation in the fields of agricultural, health, IT education, trade and industry.

The foreign minister gave a detailed briefing on the current state of Pakistan-India relations and reiterated his country’s longstanding proposal for a dialogue to resolve all issues including the core issue of Kashmir.

Ali Said Abdella affirmed his country’s continued support for the right of self-determination for the Kashmiri people and for a peaceful resolution of the issue in accordance with United Nations resolutions.

The Eritrean foreign minister provided a briefing on the situation in Africa as well as on Eritrea’s relations with its neighbours.

He recalled with appreciation Pakistan’s steadfast support during his country’s struggle for independence.

The Eritrean foreign minis-ter’s invitation to the foreign minister of Pakistan to visit Eritrea on mutually convenient dates, was accepted with pleasure.