BERLIN, June 29: President General Pervez Musharraf and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will discus ways to promote bilateral, trade, investment and economic cooperation between the two countries, Pakistan’s ambassador to Berlin Asif Ezdi on Sunday.

Briefing journalists about the prospects of Gen Musharraf’s two-day-long official visit to Germany, he termed the visit important, saying it was taking place at a time when South Asia was focus of the international community’s attention.

Both the leaders, he said, would also “discuss ... cooperation in areas of culture, education and scientific fields.”

The president, he said, would brief the German leader “about the role Pakistan is playing in stability and peace of the region both with regard to Afghanistan and with regard to South Asia.”

Highlighting the emergence of closer ties between the two countries, he said that German Chancellor Schroeder had visited Islamabad in Oct 2001, followed by visits of German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, adding that senior officials of both the countries had accelerated bilateral visits.

Mr Ezdi said President Musharraf would brief German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder about Pakistan’s efforts “for the resumption of a dialogue with India and our hope that Germany as well as other countries in Europe and the West will also help promote this dialogue and to assist in bringing it to a fruitful conclusion.”

“Germany has played a constructive and a positive role in contributing to the stability of the region and I think that will be one of the major subjects, which the two leader will discuss,” said the ambassador.

Ezdi expressed the hope that Germany and other European countries would help not only in defusion of tension between Pakistan and India but would also assist in finding solution of the issue.

There was now a realization in the West, he said, dialogue was not enough unless the major source of tension was resolved between the two South Asian neighbours.

Referring to the president’s stay in Germany, he said that the President is also expected to hold talks with German President Johannes Rau on matters of mutual interest.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer would call on President Musharraf, while the president is also expected to have a breakfast meeting with German Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee on July 1.—APP