ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca will be arriving here over the weekend on a four-day official visit for bilateral consultations, well-placed diplomatic sources told Dawn on Tuesday.
She is due to arrive here on 16th and will leave on 20th, it is learnt. Sources said Ms Rocca's visit was part of routine consultations to take stock of bilateral relations, adding that she was also likely to travel to some other cities to see the USAID projects.
"There is no specific agenda as such. It is just one of those usual periodic visits to stay in touch and review bilateral matters," said one source. Despite the primary focus of her visit being bilateral, important regional issues such as the ongoing Indo-Pakistan peace process, war against terrorism, elections in Afghanistan and the situation in Iraq are also likely to figure in discussions between the two sides.
During her visit here Ms Rocca will hold separate talks with Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and foreign secretary Riaz Khokhar at the foreign office. Although a request for a call-on President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has been made, there is no confirmation of the meetings.
Ms Rocca, a frequent visitor to Pakistan, was last here in May with the US deputy secretary of State Richard Armitage. This will be her first visit here after Mr Aziz took oath as the country's 22nd prime minister. Ms Rocca will also be visiting India next week.
