January 20, 2003	Monday	Ziqa'ad 16, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 19: Two of world’s key capitals, Washington and Moscow, appear to have become the focus of Pakistan’s diplomacy with the top foreign office men present there at the moment for high-level consultations.

In a rare coincidence both Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri and Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokar are away on official visits to the two strategically important capitals for Pakistan.

Both are on equally important and challenging diplomatic missions at a critical juncture in Pakistan’s history. While Mr. Kasuri has gone to an old ally for seeking certain concessions, Mr Khokhar has gone to a potential ally looking for a new strategic partnership.

“These visits mark an era of building on relations with old allies and at the same time exploring ways for new allies,” is how one analyst described the two diplomatic missions, referring to the dictum on foreign policy by Pakistan’s first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan who said: “Pakistan must have its allies where it finds them.”

Kasuri left for Washington on Saturday with the INS issue being on top of his agenda and on Sunday Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokar left for Moscow to pave the way for a new era of relations with Russia. Foreign Office’s Director-General (Americas) Akbar Zeb is accompanying Mr Kasuri.

Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokar’s visit to Moscow comes on the heels of the first strategic dialogue between Pakistan and Russia.

Additional secretary (UN) Tariq Osman Haider and Director (Foreign Secretary’s Office) Malik Azhar Ellahi attended the inaugural meeting of the Pakistan-Russia Consultative Group on Strategic Stability in Moscow on Thursday.

Foreign office spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan told Dawn on Sunday that Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar had gone to Moscow for bilateral consultations with his Russian counterpart and for preparations of President Pervez Musharraf’s state visit to Russia early next month.

President’s forthcoming visit to Moscow will be his first.

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