January 31, 2003	Friday	Ziqa’ad 27, 1423

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WASHINGTON, Jan 30: President George W. Bush on Thursday engineered an informal encounter with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, and renewed US praise for Islamabad’s support in the US anti-terror campaign.

Bush dropped by on a meeting between Kasuri and his national security advisor Condoleezza Rice at the White House, rounding off a visit to Washington in which the minister met every senior US official.

“The president acknowledged the contribution of Pakistan to war against terrorism,” Kasuri told reporters.

“Drop-by” meetings are used by US presidents to hold informal encounters with visiting dignitaries, even though protocol does not dictate official talks with the US commander in chief.—AFP